Deepest Midnight
by Silmaria
Summary: Midnight never knew of her background until she recieved a mysterious letter. Now she is thrown into a battle against the government, and is faced with avenging her parents' fight... Ch23 FINALLY uploaded! *sweatdrops* Plz review! It'd make me happy!
1. A Letter From The Past

Disclaimer: Don't own anything but this story.  
  
A/N: It explains itself. Review, if you want, it'll be appreciated ^_^ I might carry this on, into a fic starring Midnight. What do you think??  
  
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Deepest Midnight  
  
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Midnight trembled as she looked at the envelope and the package, which had been delivered by someone to her foster home early this morning of November 29, her 16th birthday. Who had sent it? There was no address on it or anything. Junon was a big, huge place to find someone in... Opening the package, she gasped as she looked upon a beautiful, large sword with angel wings around the handle, detailed in lovely gold against the silver blade. She paused for a while, just looking on it, then she hid it under her bed next to her bag. She had planned to run away today, to find the one person she could remember from her previous life away from the foster homes - a boy named Kierann. But now... it could wait. She sat down and looked at the envelope, and started to open it...  
  
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Midnight A. November  
  
Open at age 16  
  
  
  
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Hello honey.  
  
Wow... you're 16 already. I bet you're gorgeous...  
  
Anyway, Its Tifa Lockheart, or to you, mama, as you called me at age 2. Which is what you are now, as I'm writing. Your so sweet; I can see you out of the corner of my eye, sitting on the beach next to your bestest friend, Kierann. You're building a sandcastle, like the many other little girls on the beach; but yours is special because it has a big flag upon the top. One with a little drawing of your bright red panther kitten on.  
  
My baby, Midnight Aeris Strife.  
  
So, I'm going to describe you as I'm looking at you now, aged two and a half, which is all I have to go on to relate to you... You are a perfect mix of your parents. You have my dark silky hair, which has grown so long for a girl your age! It's down your back, just like mine always was, and tied with a big pink bow at the bottom. Your fringe just wont stay put, no matter what I do to it; it sticks up, just like the shorter front parts of your hair do if left to dry unbrushed. They always seem to be... well, spiky. This frames your little baby girl face, which is glowing in the Costa Del Sol sunshine at the moment, while you build steadily. Your eyes; well, what can I say about your eyes. They are big and round, with long dark eyelashes, but the most amazing part is the colour. They are a piercing bright blue, with a tinge of yellow in the very centre; and they glow. I could fall forever in those eyes. Of course, I did fall in love with them...  
  
Your daddy had those eyes; they seemed to pierce my heart and capture it. They were just the same as yours; when you were born it was the first thing I noticed about you. It was obvious who your father was! Except, I suppose you don't know that; you don't know anything about him.  
  
His name was Cloud. Cloud Strife.  
  
He was the most amazing person I ever met, and I met a lot of people. He was gentle and kind to his friends, yet he was the most ruthless person when it came to defending what he stood for. He went through so much, yet he pulled us all through. He was... special.  
  
You know, you get your rebellious hair from your daddy as well; his was always spiky. It stuck up in the air, even while wet! We always teased him about it. His was a bright blond colour though; with his glowing pale eyes and his tall, white-blonde hair he wasn't someone you would lose in a crowd, put it that way. He always wore a deep purple outfit, which showed off his hair and eyes all that much more. At this moment on the beach you are wearing a t-shirt the same colour; and a skirt as well. You look as good in it as he always did.  
  
One thing Cloud was never seen without was his huge sword, always strapped to his back. I however, am a karate expert and I use my fists to fight. But anyway. Back to the present day, as you're reading this, this letter should be with a sword; the sword your father left you. Now you're 16 it's given to you by us, as our present to our darling daughter, even if we cannot be there. You should start training with it. The sword isn't the best sword your dad had, but then if you started training with the best (his Ultima Sword was his best, in fact you really couldn't find a better sword) then you'd kill yourself easily! Plus, itd be too heavy for you probably. This sword is still very powerful though; and its the lightest that your dad owned. Take good care of it. Its called the 'Heaven's Cloud'. A fitting name, huh? Now you're sixteen though, you should know your past, and why you are going to need that sword. 


	2. The Story Of My Past

It's hard to know where to start...  
  
This is a very emotional story I'm about to tell you. It could be told as the Story Of My Life, I guess, and Cloud's life, in fact. Well, our lives were connected right from the start. But firstly, Midnight, I have to warn you that this part of your heritage should not be told to many people because we picked up a lot of enemies along the way, and if people knew you were the daughter of Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockheart, then you could be in danger. That's why I changed your name. Be careful honey. Oh. And this story will get complicated, unbelievable and hard to take in. It was the same for us as we lived it. But it's the truth; you might already know of it through folklore...  
  
Well, I suppose the start of it was in Nibelheim, when I was fourteen. I was employed as a tour guide around the local mountains. One day, I accepted a request for a guide to the local Mako reactor, which made power. It was from SOLDIER; or an elite army force used by the rulers of the planet, Shinra Inc. There was four people I had to take to the reactor; two SOLDIERs and two guards. A SOLDIER named Zack accompanied the renowned General Sephiroth. The guards came along as the rules stated they should, but weren't used. One of these guards was a spiky haired blonde named Cloud. I didn't know it was him; Cloud had grown up next door to me in Nibelheim and although we weren't close, he had (unknown to me) always tried to catch my attention. He had told me on the eve of his departure from Nibelheim that he was going to join SOLDIER. So there I was, a few years later, waiting for him to come back on this reactor mission. But he never came as a member of SOLDIER. I was devastated; I had hoped he could come. But I brushed these feelings aside and carried on with the guiding of the group.  
  
It was uneventful really, until we reached the reactor. I was excited about seeing the inside of it, however Sephiroth wouldn't let me in, and left me outside with one of the guards. I didn't know that this guard was Cloud. But inside, I could hear noises and so I ventured in with this guard following. Inside the reactor, I saw the most horrible thing. My father. He was lying on the ground, he had been killed by a swordsman. Sephiroth was that man. He had also burnt down Nibelheim, killing all my friends; and Cloud's mother. I felt all this rage build up inside me; I ran towards Sephiroth screaming at him but I couldn't do anything; I was no match for him. He ran his incredibly long sword across my face; in a blur everything spun up into the air and I fell down the steps. I was in so much pain... The next thing I remember is the Shinra guard who had been looking after me. He gently carried me out of the way, into a corner of the reactor; as Sephiroth came walking down the stairs. Zack, the other member of SOLDIER, challenged him and was thrown out of Sephiroth's way with a flick of that giant Masumune sword Sephiroth always carried. Cloud then took Zack's huge sword, and on Zack's wishes went after Sephiroth. Sephiroth stabbed Cloud, but Cloud was able to throw Sephiroth into the Mako pit at the bottom of the reactor, despite being critically injured. That's all I can remember of that day.  
  
Sephiroth had been in the reactor because his 'mother', Jenova, was being held there. You see, Sephiroth is an experiment of Shinra's; he has inside him alien cells. Jenova is that alien. Cloud survived by being held in Nibelheim, as an experiment himself. He was dosed with Mako; that ensured his survival, and gave him the glowing eyes which were his trademark. You seem to have inherited them...  
  
The next time I met Cloud was seven years later, in the Midgar slums. He was twenty one; I was twenty. He was confused over who he was; of the Cloud inside. I now know why; because of those experiments. But that comes later. At this time, I was part of a resistance faction; Avalanche. We aimed to stop Shinra destroying the planet using these Mako reactors, which were draining the Lifestream from the planet. This is every dead person's soul, one they have returned to the planet. Shinra were taking this to make power. At this time, Cloud was a mercenary who I found and we hired to help us. Also in Avalanche there was Jessie, Biggs and Wedge. They were lovely people; totally committed to their cause. The leader was Barrett Wallace. He had a gun on his arm, and he was a bit pushy but he cared. I thought of him as a brother, since he had taken me in and helped me out after Nibelheim. Well, anyway, the five of us as Avalanche blew up two of the reactors around the upper, posher level of Midgar. This wasn't the right way to do things, as many people died. After the second blast, we were caught by Shinra and although we escaped, Cloud was thrown over the side of a bridge down to the slums below.  
  
Cloud fell through a church and he met Aeris Gainsborough, who was in there. She was a flower girl. She joined Cloud, and after they reached the rest of us again, we discovered that the metal plate above Sector 7 of the slums, our home, was going to be brought down by Shinra. Aeris took Barrett's daughter, Marlene, away and the rest of us headed up to the big support in the centre of the plate to fight for our home. We failed. Barrett, Cloud and I escaped, but the others didn't survive. Aeris was captured by Shinra, after taking Marlene to a safe place. So Cloud, Barret and I set off to save Aeris.  
  
After breaking into the Shinra Headquarters, we found Aeris about to be experimented on, due to the fact that she was the very last of the Cetra or Ancient race. We also saved a red panther specimen there, who had been named Red VIII or just Red as we called him. We were captured though, and we would have had bad things done to us but, as a coincidence, Sephiroth had broken into the building and killed President Shinra. He had been revived by his Jenova cells and was after Jenova which was in the lab in the headquarters. We therefore made our escape.  
  
This was the rebirth of Avalanche, our fight for the planet, and Cloud Strife was the leader of it all. We went many places and did so many things, escaped from Shinra and their Turks, the team fighting us, so many times. There was so many people who joined up with us as well. I can't write down the whole of our adventure, because it would take forever, which I don't have. However, this is our full line up of members. I might sound brief in my explanation, but I cannot really explain how Avalanche were to me. They were all my brothers and sisters, my family...  
  
Cid Highwind was a great friend. He couldn't show his feelings, but he was passionate about helping the cause, almost as passionate as he was about flying. His girlfriend was called Shera, who helped us out sometimes as well. Cait Sith was a stuffed robot of a cat on a mog. He was controlled by Reeve of Shinra, and although he was a spy, at the end he turned out to be a great friend. Yuffie Kiseragi was a Wutain, who was obsessed with materia. She was annoying and stole materia once from us all, but she was one of us really. Vincent Valentine was one of my best friends out of Avalanche. He was silent (but deadly!) and he seemed to be cold but inside, he was mourning the love of his life and tortured himself because he did not prevent her death. (This woman, Lucrecia, was in fact the mother of Sephiroth, but that doesn't really matter). Barrett... well, I've already explained he was like a brother to me, and he kept us all on the right path. Red, or Nanaki as his tribal name was, was so kind and caring and gentle, it's hard to believe seeing as he was a panther. He was quiet spoken and wise, and helped us choose what was right. Aeris. Oh Aeris was my best friend of all. She was sweet and lovely; I couldn't help liking her and neither could anyone else. Especially Cloud... I believe he was in love with her before she was snatched away. Ill talk about Cloud later, but this is the story of Aeris' death...  
  
We ended up at the Temple Of The Ancients, trying to stop Sephiroth who was searching for the Promised Land, an afterlife reserved for the Cetra, and also wanted to be a god. We had to stop his plan. The Black Materia could summon the Meteor and destroy the planet, and Sephiroth would be reborn as a god if he summoned it. This was what he was after. Avalanche had fought for the Black Materia and we found it. We were all happy, that we would be safe as long as we had the materia. Suddenly Sephiroth appeared. The Jenova in him wanted the materia... We didn't know this, but Cloud had been injected with Jenova cells whilst an experiment. Jenova took control of him and made him hand over the Black Materia... to Sephiroth. No-one could stop it. Afterwards, Cloud could have killed himself. He was so depressed and worried... he even decided he couldn't go on, because it could happen again and he could turn against us when Jenova took control of him. But we made him, maybe because it was our destiny. Anyway. While Cloud was sleeping, Aeris came to him in a dream. She told him she had gone to the City of The Ancients to stop Sephiroth and save the planet. It was far too dangerous, and when we found out she'd gone, we followed her. All of us.  
  
At the City of the Ancients, we arrived to find Aeris praying on an altar. Cloud went up to see her. I could see how much he loved her, and I was so devastated because I was already in love with your father. As Cloud walked alone up to Aeris, Jenova took hold of him again and he nearly attacked Aeris with his sword, but Vincent and I screamed to Cloud to stop, and he managed to, just in time. It was so sad though. As Cloud looked at Aeris and she finally looked up from her prayers to the planet and her White Materia which could stop Sephiroth, Sephiroth swooped down from the ceiling and stabbed his long Masumune through Aeris' back and right through her. She fell without even a scream, and died right there, in Cloud's arms. I felt awful... my best friend had died and I was, inside, almost glad that she wouldn't be there to take Cloud away from me. It was the worst feeling; despair mixed with guilt over feeling glad.  
  
Aeris' death hit us all... the last Cetra, she had died for the planet. She had prayed to save everyone else's lives at the expense of her own...  
  
But Sephiroth still had the Black Materia. So we followed him. We found him at the Northern Crater. We fought him and won, winning back the materia, and Cloud gave it to Red because he didn't trust himself near Sephiroth. But, as we neared Sephiroth again, he showed us our memories, showed Cloud the truth which wasn't in his memory. You see, he believed he was a member of Soldier; in fact, he had been given Zack's memories and mine in the experiments, which made him believe he was not who he was. Sephiroth then succeeded in making Cloud believe he was a puppet of Jenova, who had just been created. As we fought to tell Cloud this wasn't true, Sephiroth morphed into my image to trick Red in coming close to the group. Cloud, under Jenova's influence, then took the Black Materia off Red, and gave it again to Sephiroth... The ground started to break apart, and we fled. I was forced to leave, looking back all the way at Cloud, who had been left behind...  
  
I woke up a prisoner of Shinra.  
  
And... I woke up to see Meteor looming down on the planet.  
  
Well, Barrett and I escaped our executions (me only just doing so, mind you - I was strapped into a chair and the gas chamber filled with gas before I could get out) thanks to a huge monster named Weapon which attacked and gave us the opportunity to break out. This monster was a natural creation, aimed to destroy all that hurt the planet, and everything else as well unfortunately.  
  
I made the group go search for Cloud. He had slipped under the planet's crust, we thought, into the Lifestream. This sometimes erupted near Mideel so we went there. We found Cloud in the hospital, unable to remember who he was or anything about his life. He had been poisoned by the Mako in the Lifestream. I stayed with him for a while, unable to leave his side to go with the group. I couldn't imagine how I would cope without him... I kept praying and praying, although it was so unlikely that he would get better. But I had to hope, because I loved him so much I couldn't think of anything else at all. The group came back after a while to check up on us. While they were there, Weapon attacked. Then, the Lifestream started to erupt in the town. I grabbed Cloud in his wheelchair and ran for my life, but we didn't make it. We fell into the lifestream.  
  
Inside the Lifestream, I could feel souls talking all around me, and it was unbearable. I was about to give up, but I could hear Cloud calling me. He later said he could hear me calling him. So I reached out for him. We landed somewhere, and all around were his memories. He was searching for his true self. I helped him get there, finding out things about myself too. When he fully knew who he was, somehow we floated upwards and I woke up on dry land, with the worried faces of the rest of Avalanche crowding around me...  
  
Shinra launched a huge Mako cannon at Sephiroth's crater, destroying the barrier around it. But Shinra was destroyed; the president Rufus was supposedly killed, in an attack by Weapon shortly after we killed Hojo, the man who had experimented upon many of Avalanche, and also who had created Sephiroth. He was trying to help Sephiroth, so we took him out.  
  
We figured out that Aeris' White Materia would save the Planet, but first we had to take out Sephiroth in the Northern Crater. So we set off, all of us together again and Aeris with us in spirit, I believe. 


	3. The Parents I Never Knew

Cloud told us all that we must have our own reasons to fight. So everyone went off to discover their reasons and realise if they were doing the right thing. My reason... all I had left was Cloud, and I was fighting for him. We grew closer that night, and we were left alone to talk. It was the moment I truly knew I was in love with him, but I never could tell him... Then morning came, and everyone set off to fight, with their own reasons set in their heads.  
  
It was the hardest battle of my life. We fought Jenova and Sephiroth so many times, each time was harder than the first, and they were so strong. But we pulled through. Cloud defeated Sephiroth single-handedly, then pulled me out of harms way up to the airship. After the battle, on our airship, we escaped the Crater (barely though, it was down to Cid's excellent piloting that we survived...) and watched on the deck as Holy was summoned. But it wasn't enough to save the Planet from Meteor... I closed my eyes and braced myself for a quick death, because we all groaned as Meteor continued on through the Holy. It had been summoned too late. We had failed. As I felt my legs go weak and I slipped down to the floor, Cloud came and put his arms around my shoulders, halting my fall. I was so shocked, all the time I had had these feelings towards Cloud he had never even hinted that he thought of me as anything more than a friend. Yet now, he had his arms around my waist and he pulled me onto my feet, gently pushing my hair back and whispering comforts in my ear. Not that he could comfort me, at this time...  
  
Yuffie was the one who spotted it. Holding Vincent's hand (which I was also shocked at, it seemed that Cloud and Vince had both got their acts together and shown their feelings after so long), she called out 'Look!!!' We all turned round so fast...  
  
The Lifestream had come out of the planet and was heading towards the Meteor. In a flash of white light, which knocked us all of our feet (and me on top of Cloud, making me blush quite a bit! Not that I didn't want to be there...), the Meteor was gone. But... so was Midgar, where the Meteor had hit. The Mako-draining city was now just a pile of rubble, but it had been evacuated just before Meteor anyway, so it was lucky and there shouldn't be too many casualties. And...we were alive. Everyone jumped up and started celebrating.  
  
I tried to get up, but an arm on my shoulder gently stopped me. Turning round, Cloud pulled me back down to him, first whispering to me the words I will never forget throughout my whole life; "We did it, Teef...we pulled through...and...you're so beautiful...", before pulling my face to his, placing his hands on my face and neck and giving me the most passionate kiss, (and then many more kisses) I had ever had, or could imagine having. Which caused more celebrations in the Avalanche crew... Barrett was shouting things like, "'Bout time an all, spiky!" Cid nearly died as he walked out the cockpit onto the deck and stumbled into us (he laughed at us for months about that!) but I don't think either of us was bothered, because we had found each other. As he kissed me, I could feel Cloud's whole body was shaking. His hand was trembling as I took it from my cheek and locked my fingers with his, much larger ones. I stroked the back of his head with the other hand, running my fingers through his long spikes which had fallen out of place. He sat up slightly and moved his hand from my neck down to my waist and pulled me up as well, so that we were leaning against the wall. When we finally broke apart, because we did need to breathe sometimes, Cloud leant his head against my shoulder and then he looked straight into my eyes, those pale blue eyes of his seeming like everlasting pools. But the look on his face betrayed how scared he had actually been; he searched my face for approval, disapproval, any kind of reaction... ("He thinks I'm gonna slap him or something...") I let out a little giggle which only he heard, and his face relaxed up again, rapidly turning into a blush as we both turned round and realised that everyone was staring at us and clapping...  
  
I'm sorry, Midnight. I know that you wouldn't really wanna think of your mum and dad kissing like that, I bet! But it was our first kiss, and the first time I ever felt true love which was being returned to me. I can't let that moment get lost in time forever... but I wont elaborate on the rest of that extremely romantic night!!!! (I can imagine you nearly throwing up now! Well, if you're anything like me!) Seriously, I cant let the rest of my life with Cloud go unnoticed either. It meant too much, this letters about your parents after all, and it's your history, Midnight... 


	4. The Fight For Life

Your history, which I want you to know. I don't want you to think you have no history, or to think wrong things about yourself. You are the daughter of two of the Planet's saviours, though I say so myself, and you are part of the second generation of Avalanche. Most of all though, you are a Strife! Everyone will know that name. But to protect you, I gave you the name November until you found out your true self. November, which is actually my middle name. Tifa November Lockheart - what a mouthful eh? Your middle name is special though. You were given Aeris' name, Aeris who was our best friend and who gave up the ultimate sacrifice for us all. She was such a special woman... I gave that to you to inspire you, and I know you can live up to the name if need be, Midnight.  
  
But... on with the story of Tifa and Cloud. You probably want to know more about us. I can't really describe myself, but I can describe Cloud. I'm sorry about the lovey dovey soppy stuff, but remember, I'm only 23 and I'm still so much in love. I'm not an old fogey yet! I'm gonna try to describe myself, and not lie either...  
  
Cloud...He was simply, an amazing person. He was a really kind, caring lover. He was an amazingly warm hearted person once you got to be his friend, but like I said, if you were his enemy, he'd be cool, calm and he'd kick your ass with out a seconds thought. I once sat back and watched him turn from caring, thoughtful friend into aggressive and calculated fighter, and it's not like the same person. Cloud always wanted children. I think we both felt that we had to give them a happy childhood and be there for them, like our parents never did for us. I'm so sorry that we didn't, Midnight. It wasn't our fault... Even at two years old, you were a mini Cloud, just with my hair colour. If you were blonde, you could have been a female clone of him. Haha I should have called you Cloudia...  
  
Tifa...Well. I have long deep brown hair, with tint of red in it, and its straight, all the way down to the small of my back. It is tied at the bottom with a white bobble. I normally wore, in my Avalanche days, a white tank top and a black skirt, which helped me move more in my karate moves. The moves I took many an enemy down with. My favourite weapon was the Premium Heart - if you ever come across it, Id recommend it to anyone cos its great! Well, my friends say that I'm always cheerful, as hard as that might be sometimes. I'm also friendly by nature, and I cheer everyone up when they're down, cos I hate to see anyone unhappy. I guess I'm helpful. However, I can get pissed off easily, especially with enemies. My limit break was used most of everyone's!! Hmm... I guess I don't sound that bad a person to have as a mum, hopefully...?  
  
On with the story though!  
  
That night, on the airship, we all felt like partying. Like the whole world, which was rejoicing in its newfound life, we couldn't think of sleeping or going back home. So, we flew to Kalm and picked up Elmyra, who was Aeris' mother, and Marlene, Barrett's daughter who had been staying with Elmyra. We also went and picked up Shera, Cid's girlfriend of sorts. We dropped Red back off in Cosmo Canyon, because he didn't understand our needs for a party. He just wanted to go home to his grandfather and the rest of the town. So, after that, we took the ship to Costa Del Sol, all piled into Cloud's new villa on the outskirts of the town, with its own little bit of beach that noone normally went onto, and partied the night away. As usual, I was left to do the bar, because I owned a bar in Midgar, so it was all left to me. I didn't really mind though. Just being alive was the best feeling ever. Oh, and being in love as well. After a while, everybody left the room except Cloud and me. I can remember just the kind of conversation we were having, it went something like...  
  
Cloud: "They've left us alone on purpose, haven't they?" Me: "Looks like it... well, after our show on the airship, who could blame them? haha!" Cloud: "... Did you not...erm...I......." Me: " did I not what?... Did I not want to do that?" Cloud: "Well...yeah. Like in front of all them and stuff..." Me: "....What did it seem like, Cloud?" Cloud: "...Huh?..." Me: "Did it feel like I was pulling away, like I didn't want to do it?" Cloud: "...Haha...No, definitely not that..." Me: "So...don't worry. Besides, I...." Cloud: "...What, Teef?........." Me: "I...(whispers)..... I love you anyway... I have for a while..." Cloud: "...?....h..honestly??!" Me: ".........mmm hmm..." Cloud: "Teef... I love you too... I truly love you more than anyone... anyone ever..." Me: "..." (spends a while just looking at Cloud... falling into his eyes haha!) Cloud: "..." Me: "So... let me return the favour from on the airship then... and come here..."  
  
That was such a magical night... but let me tell you, never kiss someone while leaning against a bar - I moved my hand and punched a bottle of vodka and it shattered all over the back of Cloud's hair, he was washing it for about an hour in the morning cos it dried all gluey! Haha! Well that dialogue sorta shows how we were both shy about showing our feelings... The big surprise of the night was when we walked outside, going down the steps to the beach, Vincent and Yuffie were sort of entwined in the shadow of the lamppost outside the villa. That was a strange couple, cos Vincent couldn't stand Yuffies annoying moods... plus he was 27 and she was only 16!  
  
Cloud: "Maybe they're drunk, eh?" Me: "No, I saw them holding hands as Meteor hit..." Cloud: "....... oh my god.... little Yuffie - Vincents!..." Me: "...ah shut up, I think they're sweet together..." Cloud: "Not as sweet as us......."  
  
Yuffie goes for older men, I guess! Well, there's only one more night I want to tell you about, and that's the night Cloud asked me to marry him. Unless you want to know about the night you were conceived? (actually, I just told you about that night ^_^) *Midnight throws up* Sorry!!!!  
  
Well, the night Cloud asked me to marry him was about a month after Meteor hit. We were living in the villa, because we just couldn't get round to moving, besides it was gorgeous! And dead warm too, plus I preferred Cloud with a tan because he had a body to die for. This one night, we walked down to the beach late at night because we couldn't sleep, it was soooo hot! We sat with our toes in the water and laid back to watch the stars. We were talking about Nibelheim and our families and friends, when Cloud suddenly leant over and silenced me with a kiss. We just lay there for a while, just looking at each other and thinking about how lucky we were, well anyway I was. Cloud then pulled a bottle of wine from his beach bag, which he had left on the beach that afternoon, and two crystal champagne glasses, which he sat up and started to fill. I didn't think anything of it, just old romantic Cloud. I could feel him shaking again, I was about to ask him what the matter was when he handed me my glass and smiled that famous Cloud smile which always makes me melt. He whispered, "To us..." and I smiled, clinking glasses while never taking me eyes off his face. I then saw him take a sp, and not wanting to be rude, I took a sip of mine as well, but there was something in my glass. I tore my eyes away from Cloud and stared at my glass... there was a ring in it. A beautiful ring, with a single ruby set in a golden band with little twists around the stone... an...engagement ring?? I didn't even realise that Cloud had taken my left hand in his until he whispered, "That's my way of asking you to be my wife, Teef..." And then I burst out crying, sobbing "....Y...Yes! ...Yes of course I will!... Cloud...oh Cloud, I love you so much...so so much..." He gently took my glass and placed the ring upon my finger, and whispered, "It matches your eyes...you're so beautiful..." I fell into his arms then, and I could feel he was holding back the tears as well.  
  
That was a day I thought Id never have. It was by far the happiest day of my life.  
  
We thought we'd be able to live a happy life free from any trouble, but things were just starting to turn worse... 


	5. New Life

A/N - The last 4 chapters were meant to be only one, then I realised how long it was!! Thanx to my reviewers, love ya all ^ ^ I'm gonna continue this fic about Midnight's life, I think... Tifa's song is 'Alone' by Lasgo  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
I found out I was pregnant the same day as Yuffie found out about her pregnancy to Vincent. We couldn't believe it, we had both been feeling unwell and as a chance met in the doctors waiting for our appointments, which were simultaneous with different nurses. We met again on the way out, both of us were so happy and we nearly screamed when we found out the other was pregnant too! I was three months, I told Yuffie, and the biggest shock of the day was when she told me she was 3 months gone as well... It looked like our babies would be growing up together...  
  
When I told Cloud about the baby, he seemed shocked for a moment. I began to worry about whether he wanted this child... Then my worries disappeared as he let out a little scream and picked me up in his arms, laughing and hugging me tight. He told the passers by, who were staring at him strangely, "I'm gonna be a daddy!!"  
  
Your birth was hard on me, it hurt so much and you were not in a hurry to come out. The labour lasted for at least fifteen hours, by which time Yuffie had come to visit with her new child who had been born a week earlier, and was turned away because she thought I would have had you by now! Cloud was by my side through all of it, and didn't fall asleep at all despite it being about 8 at night when I was rushed in, and well into the next day before you were born. In case you never knew, you were born on the 28th of November '43 and it was 11.49 am exactly when you were born, in the Corel Area Hospital which had been built just after the Meteor incident, when the inhabitants of Midgar moved all over the world. Reeve funded it. (Oh yeah, Reeve had been the Shinra spy controlling the Cait Sith robot, but he became our ally in the end).  
  
So we named you Midnight Aeris Strife.  
  
Yuffie and Vincent named their child, a little boy who is a week older than you exactly, Kierann Valentine.  
  
Cloud was so proud of you, for the first week he couldn't put you down. I was a bit disappointed really; you were born looking exactly like him, not at all like me, with small spikes of dirty blonde hair on your tiny head (although it fell out and became brown like mine later), and large blue eyes. Which glowed the same Mako-blue as your father's. He must have passed it down to you.  
  
I came out of hospital about a week after the birth, and we took you back to Costa Del Sol. You looked so sweet in your little white and yellow babygro, and I don't think it had sunk into Cloud yet that he was a father. That first night, we tucked you into the little cot next to our bed and turned the radio on so we could hear you downstairs, and went down to watch the stars and have some time to ourselves.  
  
And that was the night everything changed. 


	6. Old Enemies

We were sitting peacefully on the settee, happy with everything in our lives, because it was all perfect. And then the PHS rang sharply. Afraid it would wake you up, I ran to answer it. It was Cloud's PHS, and Barret was on the other end.  
  
"Get Cloud." was all he said. Startled, I handed the PHS to Cloud who took it with a frown on his face. "Yeah?"  
  
"Not good news for ya, Mr Leader. He's back...Sephiroth, and Jenova too"  
  
"What???!? He can't be, I killed him! How can he be back??"  
  
"Yeah well believe it Spike, he is. He's attacked Midgar, Wutai and Cosmo Canyon, and he's headed towards Costa. He aint alone, Cloud, he has like an army full of Jenova controlled zombies. Don't ask how he did it, but I hear he's attacked the young lads in each town he's been through, and a snake he has is biting them, giving them Jenova, then they get up and start following Sephiroth, killing their own friends and families on the way..."  
  
"Shit..."  
  
"Yeah, sommat like that. Cloud, we have to stop em, but there's more bad news..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"We think he targeted us, Avalanche."  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"I have Yuffie, and lil Kierann here, and Marlene's with me too. But the rest... we can't find. Apart from Cid, he's in the air looking at the attacked places."  
  
"What dya mean, cant find??"  
  
"Ok well its sommat like this... Cosmo Canyon was turned over, and Red tried to stop them, but he was only one big cat... New Midgar was taken; don't think there's much hope for Reeve seeing as they went straight to the new government buildings. (hushes voice) And Vincent was at home in Wutai. He told Yuffie to get on the chocobo and take the bairn, and we cant get in touch with him. She's distraught, man. And Cid's checking it out, but by the sounds of it the whole town was set alight..."  
  
"Holy crap... poor Yuffie. And... Red and Reeve..."  
  
"Spike grab Tifa and the kid and just get out of there, man. They're coming and I don't care how big ya sword is, you're not gonna be able to take em out alone. Cid's coming for ya now; he'll be about five minutes, then we're all takin to the air till we figure out a way to kick his butt..."  
  
"Right, yeah. We'll be there, and Ancients help them if they come anywhere near my family..."  
  
"Just get here alive, Cloud..." then Barret hung up.  
  
Cloud turned to me with a stunned look on his face, then he pulled me into a bear hug and told me to go and get you from your little cot. I didn't need to ask why, I had heard enough. As I left the room I turned round.  
  
Cloud Strife, the leader of the fallen Avalanche, had picked up his Ultima Sword, to prepare to fight the old enemy.  
  
That was the first time I ever saw him cry... 


	7. Unexpected Attacker

Aboard the Highwind I sat in a corner, holding Yuffie as she sobbed her heart out. There had been no sign of Vincent anywhere. At my feet, with Shera rocking them, the two littlest members of Avalanche lay in carry cots. Kierann was the spitting image of his father, except his eyes were a little more Wutaian. He contrasted your blonde and blue eyes with his darker skin, black hair and near-black eyes. He had his eyes open, and was staring, puzzled, at the blue blanket I had brought for him, because Yuffie was too distraught to do anything...  
  
Cloud, Barret and Cid stood in the front of the cockpit. Cloud had his head in his hands. Cid was drawing on a cigarette faster than normal people would breath, and Barret had that edgy look I recognised from way back when he was the leader of the resistance movement in Midgar. How long ago that seemed...  
  
I got up, and let Shera take her turn in looking after Yuffie and the babies. Stretching, I walked over to the group at the front. Silently, they turned to look at me, then Cloud put an arm around my waist and drew me into the group. "We don't know what to do..." he whispered, more to the ground than to me. "We don't know what he's after, but it looks like he wants the world. Which isn't good, because we can't let him get rule, but there's only four of us now..." I looked at him, astounded, because if Cloud had nearly given up then there was no hope for the world...  
  
I was about to say that, when the pilot yelped, "Commander Cid!! We're under attack!" Cid swore and dashed to the radar, which showed a huge metal object right on our tail, firing shots straight at us.  
  
"Holy... holy crap! That's..."  
  
Cloud ran up beside him and took one look at the radar, "Its Weapon?!"  
  
Weapon had returned. And with its attacks stronger than it's previous forms, it looked like it was about to make the Highwind its first victim. And its first victim, the Highwind did become.  
  
One giant missile hit the rocket engines, causing one to smoke and unsteady the ship. It veered to the right sharply, and I threw myself onto the two babies who had awoken and were scared out of their minds. I propped myself against the controls and pulled the two cots into me. Shera and Yuffie were catapulted over the controls and into the glass windows at the front. Cid had grabbed the controls, and frantically pulling at the wheel, he managed to turn the ship away from Weapon and tried to outmanoeuvre it. In one attack, Weapon pelted the front of the plane with bullets, putting the window through at the front. Sheltered behind a desk and screens, I heard the screams of my fellow Avalanche members as they were fired upon.  
  
Shera and Yuffie had fallen out of the window. Probably more painless than the death they would have had, if they had stayed in the ship... Cid and Barret were swearing at the Weapon, and Cid had tears in his eyes, from the pain of the wounds he had received and overbearingly from the loss of his fiancée. I called out for Cloud, who ran past me and scooped up a terrified Marlene, who had been in the chocobo stable. Cloud placed her in my lap and kissed me on the lips as my tears mingled with his. My tears at seeing him so wounded yet thinking of no one but us. He then kissed you, Midnight, on the head gently and you calmed down at his touch. He did the same to Kierann, a new little orphan...  
  
Then the last attack from Weapon was unleashed on the faltering ship. With a swoop, the machine descended upon us and slashed its sharp sword-ended arms across the middle of Highwind, cutting it in two. The back end separated from the front, hanging on by a thread of metal, and then completely separating. The ill fated ship fell into a nose dive, down towards the plains near where the old Midgar was, near Kalm. I screamed, huddling myself into the corner with my only child, my best friends' son and the child I had helped raise for Barret. I threw myself over the top of you, and then Cloud ran around and did the same over the top of me.  
  
The last things I can remember are you all falling silent on the touch of our bodies pressed up against you. Cloud brushed my hair back, kissed my neck and whispered, "Tifa, you and Midnight made me the happiest man in the world, I love you both so much..."  
  
I knew I had to survive, for my little baby who hadn't known life yet, and for Kierann who had lost his parents before he could ever know them... and I whispered back to Cloud, between sobs, "Its not the end, my love..."  
  
Then everything went black. 


	8. Death Of Heroes

I became conscious in the wreckage, in a little pain but ok to carry on.  
  
As I opened my eyes, I felt a small body squirm under me. I heard the muffled cries of my small friends. Leaning back, I found both you and Kierann were alright, maybe a little scratched but it seemed you were all in one piece. Marlene had a few scratches and it looked like a broken finger. All three of you were crying, which was a healthy sound. But... Barret and Cid were lying in a pool of blood with the other crew. Pieces of metal stuck up from their bodies, and they were obviously not alive. Bless their souls.  
  
And Cloud...  
  
Cloud was draped over me, his heartbeat a faint beat and barely breathing. Tears flooded my face, as I turned him over onto the floor. I was no nurse, but he had broken one of his legs, his arm and his back was twisted strangely. His head had a huge wound from which the blood was gushing. I felt my screams catch in my throat and come out as a mere moan. I brushed his blonde hair, which had fallen from its spikes and was now just straggly long waves hanging over his face, as if the life had left his hair already. It was matted with dried blood. I sobbed my heart out, praying that he'd be alright. How could this happen? I had let him cover me, I should have been lying there.  
  
The tears dripped from my face and fell to make little pools on his cheeks, washing away the blood that had caked on there. Suddenly, he stirred in my arms. "Cloud..." I whispered. Coughing painfully, with his face distorted with all the pain he must be feeling, I felt how hard it was for him to breathe. He slowly opened his eyes as I cried out his name, the sobs racking my chest, my hands trembling as I held him in my arms. His once bright blue eyes had faded to a dull pale greyish colour, which no longer sparkled. He gave me a slight smile, then winced with the pain it caused him... He whispered in his previously amazing voice, which now seemed hoarse and lifeless, "Tifa... you're so beautiful... I love you more than anyone ever... T... Take care of Midnight...", then he let his head fall back onto my arms, exhausted with the effort and excruciating pain I could see he was suffering. "No, your not gonna die, Cloud... I love you so much...we've been through so much... Cloud..." I whispered, wishing I could believe it in my heart...  
  
After all we had been through, it couldn't end like this... surely?  
  
But Avalanche had gone forever, now there was just Cloud and I... but inside I knew that he couldn't survive...  
  
He had been everything to me for so long, I had been strong only through his support, and I couldn't face not having him beside me...  
  
My best friend... the person who saved the world from Meteor and who inspired us all to succeed... the only person I shared my past with... the only person I trusted with everything... my childhood friend... my fiancé, my future, my lover, the father of my only child... and the only love of my life...  
  
I lay there in the twisted remains of the once-proud Highwind, and cried as I held him in my arms and felt his life fall away. And with Cloud, my inner soul died as well.  
  
A song ran through my head.  
  
"And now I stand here alone in the dark, without you, There's nothing more I would like, to be with you I close my eyes but I cant stop thinking of you And now I stand here alone in the dark Without you..."  
  
As I sobbed for my lover and all my best friends, all I had in the world, I thought I heard the Planet cry out for its heroes.  
  
Avalanche... I was the sole survivor of the group.  
  
And I had to carry on for the next generation, who I was holding in my arms...  
  
I moved around, living with you three for 2 years, until one day, I was tracked down when you and Kierann were 2 and Marlene was seven. For you see, Sephiroth and Jenova had taken over the world and the government, and life was awful. It was though that Avalanche had all died, but I got a hint off Reno, a Turk I knew and who was the only person who knew I existed. They had found me... Sephiroth himself had spotted me whilst on a mission, and ordered me hunted down and exterminated.  
  
Today as I write this letter, I know they are coming for me.  
  
I have brought you back to your home, and let you play for a while on the golden beaches. I have packaged up Heaven's Cloud, and mastered Cure, Fire and Deathblow materia, which I'm gonna get delivered to you on your 16th Birthday.  
  
For only you can lead the fight against Jenova, Midnight... You are the only untainted person alive who has the cells of Jenova inside them, which you inherited from your father. She cannot have a hold on you. It will give you great strength though. But you cannot fight alone, so I beg, of you please find Kierann and Marlene. I packed the Quicksilver gun for Kierann, a favourite of his father's, and my God's Hand glove for Marlene, as I am as close to a mother as she ever had.  
  
Kierann Marsh was the name I gave to the real Kierann Valentine, and Marlene Brooks is really Marlene Wallace. Find them... they should be nearby.  
  
I am sending you all to foster parents, through the orphanage that Elmyra my friend runs in Kalm. Find her - she will be able to point you to each other.  
  
I trust you, Midnight, and know that you are the second generation of Avalanche. Show the others this letter - they deserve to know about their heritage.  
  
Let our fate inspire you, we are all watching over you.  
  
Daughter of Cloud Strife, destroy the enemy of the Planet and of your ancestors, just like your father nearly did... I know you can do it.  
  
I wish I could help you, but I cannot be with you. If I survive, I promise I will track you down. Until then.  
  
I love you.  
  
Tifa xx  
  
--------------  
  
Midnight brushed the tears from her face and sat back on her bed.  
  
Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockheart ... the famous rebels... her parents?  
  
Hearing a noise downstairs, she decided to hurry up and leave while she still could. Take action now; think later. She grabbed her things from under her bed, and strapped the Heaven's Cloud to her back. ("Kalm isn't too far from Junon by chocobo..."). She placed the letter into her bag, and set off to look for Elmyra, first looking in the mirror at the tall, dark haired girl with the glowing blue eyes... Then climbing out the window with a graceful leap, she moved off into the night. 


	9. Midnight In Kalm

A/N Its a crappy day in Teesside... it's raining hard, and it's supposed to be summer! Grr! So I'm writing more of this but so far, what do you think? I'm sick of writing the same old stories that people have heard before, like my other fics e.g. Life Must Go On and Dagger's Diary, they bore me to bits cos they could be anyone's work! So, I've tried to make this a bit original, although it does just go to the 2nd generation type fic ;_; But... I adore Cloti fics toooo much to abandon them completely! Hopefully though, I can make this one a bit more interesting than my last stories. Anyone care to suggest a character?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Midnight got off her pet chocobo, Spark, and wearily stretched her legs. Despite the fact hat Spark was one of the green Mountain chocobos, it had still been quite a journey to Kalm. The sword on her back was weighing her down, although once she had put it on, it seemed natural as if it was part of her. Strange as it was, Midnight felt as if this was her destiny. And maybe it was.  
  
Next to the entrance of Kalm, there was a small stable that looked like it housed chocobos. Sure enough, inside there were two chocobos asleep, a yellow one and a black one. The stable boy noticed Midnight standing there, and came over to gain more business, which wasn't normally abundant in a sleepy town like this.  
  
"It's 20 Gil per night for the chocobo, missy."  
  
Midnight looked at the stable boy strangely. He looked so familiar somehow. Then an image flashed before her eyes. An image of a spiky haired young boy with a huge sword on his back, and bright green eyes which... glowed? This could have easily been Cloud, but she had a mental image of what Cloud looked like already implanted in her brain. No, this youth had black hair. Cloud did not.  
  
"Miss? Are you...alright?" Midnight shook her head and looked at this boy in front of her who seemed quite scared of her already. A voice rang in her ears, a female voice which seemed so familiar... That man you saw is Zack  
  
(Huh? Z...Zack? Zack... who's Zack?)  
  
Midnight suddenly became aware that she was sitting on the floor with her hands over her ears. How she had got there she didn't know, she looked around totally confused and noticed the worried expression of the boy standing in front of her. Spark was already in the stable, fast asleep. "Hey, come on, I'll stable the chocobo now and take you to the inn, you can pay me later...", the stable boy told Midnight as he lifted her up easily and walked with her into Kalm.  
  
In the inn, the boy sat down on the opposite bed to her and Midnight finally took a good look at him. He was quite a bit shorter than her, but seemed to be older. His hair stuck up in the places where it had fallen out of the band pulling it back off his pale face, and the bangs at the front framed his face. His hair was lighter than the person in the vision, Midnight noted, it was a medium dark brown, not far away from her own natural hair colour. Many thin blonde streaks ran through his hair, and his eyes were the deep green of an evergreen tree. Around his waist was slung a red belt, with two long daggers in it, and he wore a tight black t-shirt, showing off his muscled yet not too over the top chest, with dark blue jeans and black boots. (A/N He is a dark haired version of Zidane from FF9 really, minus the tail ^_^) Despite the bright light on the ceiling, Midnight could tell something about him that unnerved her, something she had never seen anywhere apart from in the mirror. His eyes may have been green, but they glowed with the same light as hers. These eyes were wide and innocent and Midnight had this sudden feeling that he wasn't quite... the same as her.  
  
"What's wrong, something on my face?" The boy laughed, and Midnight blushed as she realised she had been staring. "I'm sorry, its just that you look so familiar..." she stuttered, wondering why she was so uneasy around him. She wasn't one to fall for men at first glance, yet she had never felt so attracted to someone. It felt strange, as if there was some reason she had to be with him...  
  
The boy looked at this girl sat in front of him. She was posing a great attraction to him, he had no idea why. It wasn't sexual attraction although she was easily the most beautiful woman he had ever met. She was taller than him, although she had an air of a child, though she seemed to be the same age as him. She had huge eyes, glowing the bright blue of the sky. Glowing...like his... He had seen those eyes before, he knew he had. It struck him that he had seen them in a book, but he discounted that because it couldn't be true. Her hair was a dark brown, which reminded him of his own hair minus the streaks of blonde. She had pieces of hair pulled forward at the front, some as short as her eyes, some as long as her chin. They seemed to stick up in untamed spikes, probably because of the light rain around, which made her look cute. The rest of her hair was pulled back into a silver clip high on her head, and it fell down to the middle of her back. She had vivid pink streaks through it, thicker than his own but not covering the deep chocolate colour beneath. Her figure was perfect, curvy yet athletic. She wore a bright pink top with elbow length sleeves, complementing her hair perfectly, and matching her pink makeup. She also wore a black skirt to just above her knees, and black thigh high boots, which contrasted the pale colour of her legs. Man, was she beautiful. Sure, he wouldn't mind getting a piece of her... but there was something else there, bringing him to her... Then it was his turn to blush, realising he had been caught staring. 


	10. A Voice From The Past

"Anyway, pleased to meet you..." He giggled. "I'm Caen Rainfall...and you are...?" Midnight laughed at the embarrassed face Caen was pulling, and relaxed, despite the alarm bells ringing in her head at the question he had asked. (You're getting paranoid already...) "I'm Midnight", she smiled. "Just Midnight?" Caen questioned with an amused look on his face, which faded as he saw Midnight blush and look to the floor... (Better leave that one alone, Caen... she's hiding something...) "Well anyway, what were you staring at for so long? I'm not that good looking am I?" he joked.  
  
"Erm... are you related to anyone named Zack?" Midnight blurted out, rebuking herself inside. She was a Strife, she shouldn't give anyone any clue to that fact because it seemed that her life would be in danger if she was found out. She knew from the news that Sephiroth himself had ordered a search for any Avalanche descendants, maybe because he was scared of an uprising. Either way, she must be careful. She was brought back into reality from her thoughts by the voice of her new acquaintance. Caen had gone pale, and he was no longer laughing. In fact, it looked like he was petrified.  
  
"How... how do you know that?" he stuttered. "I've never told anyone who my father was, how do you know who he is?..."  
  
(His father is Zack? Hmm. Who is Zack again... Zack Zack Zack Zack... Oh! The Nibelheim SOLDIER! Yeah!)  
  
Midnight took a deep breath. "I know who he is because I saw his face in my head, as soon as talking to you, so I made the connection. My father was a Shinra" [Caen shuddered at the mention of the name] "guard once, and he accompanied Zack to a place called Nibelheim. Then...my dad was injured, and experimented upon...but I've said too much." She glanced up from her lap where she had balanced the Heaven's Cloud and was running her finger along the ornate carved decorations in the handle.  
  
The boy's face changed to a look of puzzlement. "You...you know...about Dad...my father was experimented on too! I... I thought the only other subject who survived had died on an airship when I was tiny. Dad was devastated, because he said that man was the only person who could save us from Sephiroth... he said nothing of a child, that was just before he was taken away...that's what Mom said, and now she's gone too..." Caen bowed his head and tried in vain to hold back the tears.  
  
(Can I trust him? Planet, I don't know what it is, but I feel so close to him...) On a mad thought, Midnight closed her eyes and asked the question in her head, but...nothing. Thinking back to that time, she realised that Caen had his hand on her shoulder when the voice came to her. (Just maybe...that's the bond I feel with him...) Suddenly, Midnight got up, sat next to Caen and put her arms around him. Caen tensed up, but then relaxed into her as Midnight comforted him. (Now...can I trust Caen? And who are you?) As the voice came to her, she gasped and huddled into Caen; the sound seemed to be penetrating her head.  
  
You can trust Caen, Midnight; by the Planet, he is the same as you, yet very different. As for me... call me your guardian angel. You bear my name...  
  
"Ae...Aeris..."  
  
Caen pulled away from Midnight, causing her to jump violently as he broke the bond between their minds. "Oh, sorry..."he whispered as she yelled out at the shock. As Midnight turned around to face him, she thought she saw a vision of a young woman with green eyes, long light brown braided hair and a ribbon in it which matched her pink dress; but when she blinked she saw Caen again. Caen, whose beautiful eyes were red from crying, but who held a wondering look on his face. She watched him as he whispered, "Midnight, what's going on? Who are you?...and, who's Aeris? How come I can hear her?"  
  
Bowing her head again, Midnight cursed inside at herself for not trusting Caen sooner. He heard Aeris' message as well, meaning he must be conveying it through to Midnight... "Ok, well its something like this, Caen..." 


	11. Two Of A Kind

"I am Midnight Aeris Strife, I don't know if that name means anything to you...?"  
  
"Strife...by the Planet, you're Cloud's daughter???"  
  
"Yeah, I only found out today because it's my 16th Birthday, and my mother Tifa Lockheart sent a message to be delivered to me on this day. I've been in foster homes since my mother was caught when I was two. She sent me away, and I don't know what happened to her..."  
  
"Cloud and Tifa's daughter... ancients, I cant believe it!"  
  
"Mmm, me neither..."  
  
"I knew there was something strange, your eyes glow like mine, plus that spiky hair, and of course that huge sword...They're so famous around here, I have a book about them and their fight... but, the whole of their group died upon that ship which crashed, didn't they?"  
  
"The Highwind. Yeah. All except Tifa. She was protecting me and the two other children... but Cloud threw himself on top of her as it crashed and saved her life, and mine as well... but he died from it." Midnight felt a pang of sorrow at this. Her mother's words in the letter had really got to her... "I'll have to show you the letter..."  
  
Caen leant across to Midnight and wiped a tear from her face, which had fallen subconsciously. She hadn't even realised it. "Well, I can sympathise, that makes two of us. My father, he died just after the Highwind fell... My mother, she was called Aya and she died earlier this year out of the blue...so I'm alone...just like you" Caen smiled, and he placed a hand on Midnight's. "One thing though. How come I can hear this Aeris chick? Who is she?... Hang on...Oh yeah! No way! I read about Aeris! She's one of Avalanche, isn't she... the one who died at the Forgotten City because of that bastard Sephiroth?!"  
  
(Aeris...)  
  
"Yeah, that's her..." Midnight suddenly had a flash in her head, and saw Aeris again. She was smiling at Midnight... This unnerved her. Aeris was dead... "I don't know why you can hear her, Caen..."  
  
Caen smiled, a smile which made Midnight feel weak. Why was she feeling like this?? She couldn't be falling for him... she thought she was still in love with HIM... but he had been torn away from her. (It's been five years, Midnight...) Shaking her head slightly, she placed her other hand over Caen's, clasping it in both of hers. "So...lets ask her..." Caen whispered.  
  
(Aeris...how are we hearing you? How am I seeing people's faces who I haven't even met?) Midnight silently questioned Aeris. Suddenly, the dizzy feeling came over her again, and she felt the strong bond between her and Caen grow back. Unconsciously, she moved into him, and he slipped an arm around her waist as Aeris spoke.  
  
Midnight, you guess well! *Aeris laughed* I met your father in the Lifestream, and although I am a Cetra and therefore belong in the Promised Land, I can communicate with you through Caen. I promised Cloud that I would look after you... Caen, I am sure you have heard a voice guiding you before... This is Zack, your father.  
  
Midnight groaned in discomfort at her head being invaded by these voices, and shifted against Caen, who was shaking, as they heard another voice in their heads.  
  
Caen... its me...Zack. Listen, you and Midnight have a task to complete. I am weaker than Aeris, she is half Cetra where I am less that that, so I cannot talk long. But I'll guide you...  
  
As Zack's voice faded, Midnight could feel Aeris' presence was back. She could hear Caen's voice now, asking the questions he needed to know..  
  
(Aeris... my father wasnt Cetra... How is he there in the Promised Land with you? And how am I hearing you? I thought you were the last Cetra... What is our task?) Midnight then heard Caen groan out load, and felt him fall against her. The message had obviously taken so much out of him...  
  
Hush, little ones, you cannot communicate long because it will tire you immensely. Midnight told you that she is Cloud's daughter? Well, Zack and Cloud were both experimented on after Nibelheim. Whereas Cloud was injected with the cells of Jenova, and therefore Midnight has these inside her too; Zack was injected with the cells of a Cetra. My mother, Ifalna. And you have inherited them. You are part Cetra, Caen. You could be called my little brother! *giggled* That is how I can talk to you. Now, the Mako in both of your veins makes your eyes glow. It also connects with other Mako... therefore, when you touch, you develop a strong bond, and become one. You hear, feel and see what the other sees... It could get interesting if you ever get up to anything naughty!! *laughs for a while* As for the task, you must figure out yourselves what needs to be done. Midnight Strife... your parents and the other members of Avalanche are watching over you in the Lifestream. Caen Rainfall... the whole of the Promised Land watches over you, last of the Cetra. Together there is nothing you can't do...  
  
Midnight fell back into consciousness with a sharp pain, as the bind between her and Caen was broken. She looked at him, although her head was blurred, and realised he had fainted. The dizziness in her head continued to faze her vision, and as she looked on Caen, she felt the room spin, and soon was lying unconscious with him on the bed, with her arm thrown over his chest and her legs tangled up in his.  
  
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A/N - ;_; only four reviews? Waaaaah! 


	12. Dreaming

A/N - I'm sure that you've realised, but I tend to write huge chapters, about 9 or 10 pages long, and then I have to split them up into about 5 different sections... so I'm gonna run out of names for the chapters soon o_O, plus about five chapters tend to go up at once. I've managed eleven in the last few days ^_^ so the small time space might account for the lack of reviews... or is it really that bad?? ;_; I know I know, the action doesn't move that quickly. I'm gonna try and change that after this chapter, when they finally go find Elmyra... so bear with me!!!  
  
On with the fic ^_^  
  
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Midnight had a dream.  
  
In this dream, Midnight found herself on a beach bathed in beautiful sunshine. People were laughing, and in the distance she could see two young children playing next to their mother. Midnight moved closer to have a look. The woman sat looking at the children wistfully, and looked back down at the letter in her hands. There were tears running down her pale face, which her chocolate brown hair was clinging to. Midnight knew who this was well. Tifa finished writing the letter, and put it into an envelope, then placing it into her bag. She sat for a while, silent tears falling from her eyes, then she stared right at Midnight for a second. Midnight tried to run towards her mother, desperately wanting to comfort her, but she couldn't move. Tifa then placed her head in her hands, sobbing silently. Midnight could hear every sound she made; she was grieving it seemed. Tifa lifted up her head and gazed out to sea, begging the waves to give her an answer. "Why did you leave me, Cloud?..." she gently whispered, before sobbing into her knees which she pulled up to her chin. A violent bang came from behind her, and Tifa shot up, grabbing the two toddlers in her arms and snatching her bag up as she ran from the beach, just as scores of soldiers ran onto it from the other side...  
  
Suddenly, she was no longer on the beach. Now, she could see a big mansion, which looked deserted. As the door creaked open, she could see inside, and began to float towards it. The decor in the house was faded and old; it could have been a scene from a horror movie because this was definitely the kind of house that was haunted by a murderous ghost, back from the past... Up the stairs Midnight went, as if on a tour of the house yet she couldn't see her body; it was more like a hidden memory. As she turned to the right, she saw a room with an old fireplace which was opened up, like a trapdoor. It led to a passage, in which she could see a set of stairs leading downwards. Down these spiral stairs she moved, the house growing gloomier and darker every inch of the way. Finally, at the bottom of these stairs, the passage opened out into an underground cavern, with dirt walls and floor, as if carved into the earth. She realised she was deep underground.  
  
The dream moved her forward, but she felt as though she was going to see something terrible. She didn't want to go, and tried to stop, but she kept on moving, pushed by an invisible force. As she glanced to her left, she saw a room full of coffins, all closed except for the frontmost one, which looked almost as though there was someone laid in it? However, Midnight had no time to figure out what she saw, as her consciousness kept moving forwards, forwards into a laboratory of some kind, or was it a library? On the right hand wall, three huge tubes were secured as if they were test tubes. All were filled with a gloopy looking bright green liquid of some kind, and... two of the tubes held in them bodies... Midnight realised she was in control of her body again, and moved closer to have a look, although her first instinct was to run. Yes, the tubes definitely held bodies, but... they seemed to be still alive, as if held in a state of sleep; they had wires attached to their bodies and a tube which seemed to be feeding them with a dark liquid. A man stepped up behind her. Midnight jumped, and reached behind her head as if reaching for her sword... but it wasn't there, and why would it be? Why did she reach for it on instinct? She hadn't even used it before... The man stepped closer and reached out a hand, holding a syringe; Midnight began to panic, until she realised he was looking right through her. He was staring at one of the subjects in the tube. Midnight realised that she could see them more clearly now.  
  
They were both male, and strong as well it seemed, seeing as both had muscled arms and chests. One had blonde hair, one had dark. They seemed to both be asleep, or stunned; both had their eyes shut. The man with the syringe, (who seemed to be a scientist with his long white coat and hair tightly pulled off his face and his goggles over his eyes...) opened a hatch near the left hand tube, which held the blonde man, and pressed a button. The green liquid, which had a strong stench, drained out of the tube and into an empty tube on the adjacent wall. The door was then swung open. This allowed Midnight to take a good look at the man's features, which had been covered and blurred by the liquid previously. His hair was matted down, but it was long and seemed as if it would stick up normally. He had a sword wound on his right hand side of his chest, which looked as though it was healing although a lump of that green substance clung to the wound. Even in this state, despite him looking younger than Midnight visualised he would, she still knew straight away who this man was. She sank back from the tube, feeling dizzy and shocked... Why... why was he in there? What was that scientist going to do to him? Midnight's questions were soon answered. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. She could only stay there and watch as this scientist filled a huge syringe with a blood coloured substance and injected it into Cloud's neck. This seemed to awaken him, and he screamed out in pain, as the liquid entered his bloodstream. His blue eyes opened wide with the shock and pain. Midnight tried to scream at this sight of torture and tried to cover her eyes, but to no avail. She had to watch as all of the liquid disappeared into her father's body, and he passed out cold, falling back into his restraints in the tube. She felt herself growing dizzier as she watched the scientist laugh and rub his hands together. Everything faded to black as she heard an unknown voice cackling, chanting over and over again "Yes... Jenova..."  
  
---  
  
Midnight screamed out loud as she awoke. Opening her eyes suddenly, bolting upright and with streams of tears running down her face, she startled Caen, who had been cradling her in his arms. Midnight couldn't breathe; she kept gasping for air as she sobbed into Caen's shoulder. He held her there until she had finally caught her breath, then he moved her in front of him and looked into her eyes.  
  
"You alright now, honey?... I woke up and you were lying on top of me, screaming your heart out. You were all pale and clammy, and you kept yelling "Cloud, Cloud no!"... I was really worried, I thought you were having a fit or something..." Midnight could see the concern in his eyes as he searched her face with his gaze. "I... I felt his pain... I saw Cloud getting experimented on, and I felt his pain... and I saw Tifa grieving for Cloud, and I felt that too... It like I was actually them..." Midnight whispered, knowing how stupid she must sound, but the look on Caen's face told her otherwise.  
  
"Midnight, I think you're right when you say that... I mean, your parents are looking over you. You said you knew I was Zack's son because you saw his image in your head? Well, somehow... I believe they're passing their memories down to you to help you out... and it is to help you fulfil your destiny...(he smiled)...Our destiny..." He finally let go of her, and looked out the window. It was already late morning. "Now, lets get up and go, because for some reason I feel like we have to find someone? Is that right?" He paused, as Midnight looked up, shocked at his words. "How do you know that?" she asked, worried about what else he knew about her.  
  
"I just know... you know, last night when our minds became one? I know things about you. Like how you feel about me (he grinned as Midnight blushed) don't worry, nothing bad. And I know we need to find this Elmyra. I knew her already. She lives here, I know that; she lives in the tower. Her daughter has a chocobo I tend to. But, that's really all I found out..."  
  
(I didn't know she had a daughter..) "Her daughter?  
  
Caen paused as he walked towards the door. "Its not her real daughter. Just one of her foster kids she had a connection with. She's called Marlene."  
  
(Marlene! That's great. Now all we need to do is track Kierann down...)  
  
"Oh, One more thing. Midnight? I think you should... well, change your appearance. No, don't get mad. Its because you're... well, pretty noticeable with all that pink, you know? You could get tracked down pretty easily looking like that..."  
  
(Hmm... yeah, I guess he's right. Plus, I want to make a clean break from my foster home past...) Midnight suddenly heard a voice in her ears, but she wasn't touching Caen. No this wasn't a message from Aeris, this seemed to be more of a hidden memory.  
  
*Remember Midnight. You are a Strife, but you're also a Lockheart. When a woman is in trouble, she looks to her memories of her mother...*  
  
(Yeah... Tifa's a part of me too... That's it, I guess I'll go make myself like Tifa...)  
  
Midnight jumped up and walked out of the door. She returned in fifteen minutes with a bag. "What's that?" asked Caen. Midnight took out the white top, identical to the one she was wearing, and a small box. "And what's the box?" he prompted, to which Midnight replied, "Hair dye. Be back in 20 minutes!" as she danced into the shower.  
  
20 Minutes later, Midnight walked out of the shower, with her new white top on and her newly blow-dried hair. She turned to Caen, her eyes searching his face for a verdict...  
  
Caen almost stopped breathing as Midnight walked out of the shower and gave a little twirl, in her new image. Her top was the same as the pink one, but it was tighter and had a slit in a triangle shape up to her belly button, showing off her stomach. Plus, white suited her perfectly. She had redone her makeup, in a soft brown natural shade which showed off her stunning eyes. And her hair was now a soft reddish brown colour which went perfectly with her pale complexion. She had left it down, and it hung around her face, with a few spikes sticking up in the air. She had cut it; now it fell down to the middle of her back, and a few strands hung over her shoulders. The result was stunning; Caen realised he had been staring a little too long, but he couldn't take his eyes off her. (She's...so beautiful...) He swallowed, and managed to look in her eyes. "It looks great..." was all he could muster.  
  
She giggled, a sound which made Caen go weak inside, although he tried hard to hide it.  
  
"Lets go then!..." Midnight told Caen. She had seen the reaction her new appearance had had on him, and then she had realised what she had been dreading. She knew she was falling for him, and by the look of it he was falling for her too. This was gonna get interesting...  
  
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A/N - Right, this is the fifth chapter of the day ^_^ I'm so good! Nah, it's just proper raining, so I cant go anywhere! So I'm doing this. Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please review *gasps for breath* cos I'm feeling rejected ;_; and u wouldn't want that now wud ya!! 


	13. The New Me

A/N - Right, this is the sixth chapter of the day ^_^ I'm so good! Nah, it's just proper raining, so I cant go anywhere! So I'm doing this. Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please review *gasps for breath* cos I'm feeling rejected ;_; and u wouldn't want that now wud ya!! Oh - they leave in the next chapter not this one ^_^  
  
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Midnight screamed out loud as she awoke. Opening her eyes suddenly, bolting upright and with streams of tears running down her face, she startled Caen, who had been cradling her in his arms. Midnight couldn't breathe; she kept gasping for air as she sobbed into Caen's shoulder. He held her there until she had finally caught her breath, then he moved her in front of him and looked into her eyes.  
  
"You alright now, honey?... I woke up and you were lying on top of me, screaming your heart out. You were all pale and clammy, and you kept yelling "Cloud, Cloud no!"... I was really worried, I thought you were having a fit or something..." Midnight could see the concern in his eyes as he searched her face with his gaze. "I... I felt his pain... I saw Cloud getting experimented on, and I felt his pain... and I saw Tifa grieving for Cloud, and I felt that too... It like I was actually them..." Midnight whispered, knowing how stupid she must sound, but the look on Caen's face told her otherwise.  
  
"Midnight, I think you're right when you say that... I mean, your parents are looking over you. You said you knew I was Zack's son because you saw his image in your head? Well, somehow... I believe they're passing their memories down to you to help you out... and it is to help you fulfil your destiny...(he smiled)...Our destiny..." He finally let go of her, and looked out the window. It was already late morning. "Now, lets get up and go, because for some reason I feel like we have to find someone? Is that right?" He paused, as Midnight looked up, shocked at his words. "How do you know that?" she asked, worried about what else he knew about her.  
  
"I just know... you know, last night when our minds became one? I know things about you. Like how you feel about me (he grinned as Midnight blushed) don't worry, nothing bad. And I know we need to find this Elmyra. I knew her already. She lives here, I know that; she lives in the tower. Her daughter has a chocobo I tend to. But, that's really all I found out..."  
  
(I didn't know she had a daughter..) "Her daughter?  
  
Caen paused as he walked towards the door. "Its not her real daughter. Just one of her foster kids she had a connection with. She's called Marlene."  
  
(Marlene! That's great. Now all we need to do is track Kierann down...)  
  
"Oh, One more thing. Midnight? I think you should... well, change your appearance. No, don't get mad. Its because you're... well, pretty noticeable with all that pink, you know? You could get tracked down pretty easily looking like that..."  
  
(Hmm... yeah, I guess he's right. Plus, I want to make a clean break from my foster home past...) Midnight suddenly heard a voice in her ears, but she wasn't touching Caen. No this wasn't a message from Aeris, this seemed to be more of a hidden memory.  
  
*Remember Midnight. You are a Strife, but you're also a Lockheart. When a woman is in trouble, she looks to her memories of her mother...*  
  
(Yeah... Tifa's a part of me too... That's it, I guess I'll go make myself like Tifa...)  
  
Midnight jumped up and walked out of the door. She returned in fifteen minutes with a bag. "What's that?" asked Caen. Midnight took out the white top, identical to the one she was wearing, and a small box. "And what's the box?" he prompted, to which Midnight replied, "Hair dye. Be back in 20 minutes!" as she danced into the shower.  
  
20 Minutes later, Midnight walked out of the shower, with her new white top on and her newly blow-dried hair. She turned to Caen, her eyes searching his face for a verdict...  
  
Caen almost stopped breathing as Midnight walked out of the shower and gave a little twirl, in her new image. Her top was the same as the pink one, but it was tighter and had a slit in a triangle shape up to her belly button, showing off her stomach. Plus, white suited her perfectly. She had redone her makeup, in a soft brown natural shade which showed off her stunning eyes. And her hair was now a soft reddish brown colour which went perfectly with her pale complexion. She had left it down, and it hung around her face, with a few spikes sticking up in the air. She had cut it; now it fell down to the middle of her back, and a few strands hung over her shoulders. The result was stunning; Caen realised he had been staring a little too long, but he couldn't take his eyes off her. (She's...so beautiful...) He swallowed, and managed to look in her eyes. "It looks great..." was all he could muster.  
  
She giggled, a sound which made Caen go weak inside, although he tried hard to hide it.  
  
"Lets go then!..." Midnight told Caen. She had seen the reaction her new appearance had had on him, and then she had realised what she had been dreading. She knew she was falling for him, and by the look of it he was falling for her too. This was gonna get interesting...  
  
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	14. Trouble in Kalm

A/N - Hey {^_^} I got more reviews! Yay! I'm gonna make longer chapters now... or Ill try {o_o} but that's alright anyway, cos about three chapters always go up at once! I've written the next two already, they're in POV, and now I must do the narrative one first. What a drag. I'm best at POV chapters, and the normal narrative ones are much harder for me to make interesting, as I'm sure you've noticed... By the way, any of the people who play FF9 will know of the idea that memories are passed down from parent to child, and everyone shares their memories. This fic uses a similar idea.  
  
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Midnight knocked at Elmyra's door with a tremble in her arm and a doubt in her head. ("What if she doesn't get what I'm on about?") Caen noticed this and put an arm around her waist reassuringly, which only made Midnight more nervous, as anytime he touched her she grew nervous anyway, let alone now.  
  
A short and curvy woman who looked in her early twenties opened the door. She had blonde hair, which was dyed by the look of the roots at the top of her head, and deep brown eyes, which were studying the couple with distrust. Then, she realised who this boy was. Her face relaxed into a friendly look, but faintly worried. "Caen! How come you're here? There's nothing wrong with Leaf is there?"  
  
Caen grinned. "Nah, he's fine, and he's gobbling all the gysahl greens as normal. My friend Midnight needs to see you and your ma..." The girl frowned. "Oh, hi, er... Midnight (that name sounds so familiar but I've never seen her before.), you want to see me? Sorry, but do I know you?"  
  
Caen answered for Midnight. "You think you don't, but you actually know her quite well..." He laughed at the puzzled look on the face of the blonde. "I'll help you out on this one. Does Midnight Strife mean anything to you? Or maybe Midnight Lockheart would mean more..."  
  
"Cloud Strife... and Tifa Lockheart...!!! You...you can't be...!?  
  
Midnight stepped forward. "Do you remember me? You're Marlene, right? My mom left a letter for me, and this" (she pulled the sword up, where the shocked Marlene could see it) "and said I should come find you. I got it yesterday. So I came here... oh, and by chance ran into Caen, who..."  
  
Marlene sighed. "Zack. I know... Elmyra told me it all... I know about you too, Midnight... all about you. I cant believe you're actually here... does that mean, you're avenging the Avalanche?"  
  
"Yeah, something like that..." Midnight sighed as well, the images of her father's death running through her mind. She didn't know why she could remember it, it seemed to be from Tifa's point of view, maybe she left it to Midnight? She was roused from these thoughts by Caen's hand on her shoulder, as they stepped inside the house.  
  
Elmyra cried her heart out when she saw Midnight, saying how much she looked like Tifa and Cloud, and how proud they'd be. She then explained that she ran an orphan fostering system that she had set up as soon as the Highwind went down. "Faced with all that loss, I felt I had to do something..." Then, she walked over to a drawer and took out a picture. It showed a group of nine young people, all smiling at the camera. Midnight recognised the place, it was Junon; and she recognised the people on the photograph. She could name every one of them. "That's Yuffie... and that's Aeris..." Suddenly, she became overcome with grief, Although she had never known these people, she mourned for them inside her heart so badly it hurt to keep it in; for no reason at all, she turned to the person next to her, which happened to be Caen, and collapsed into his arms, crying harder than she had ever thought possible. Through her head flashed images of the Highwind going down, of Cloud dying in his fiancée's arms, of the lifeless bodies of Cid and the crew, of Vincent and Red who died protecting their homes. It was strange, but she felt like her heart was breaking.  
  
Later on, Elmyra was making everyone something to eat while Caen was chatting to her about something. Midnight sat upstairs in the tower room, silently crying, although she willed herself to stop but the tears kept flowing. She wondered if this was the pain that Tifa had felt, if somehow she had not mourned and so Midnight had inherited it? Marlene walked quietly up behind her. "We all grieved, you know. At sometime or other. Caen for Zack; me for Barrett, and all of Avalanche too; Elmyra for Aeris, and Barrett too because she had just fallen in love again. She lost the man she loved twice. We all know what you feel..." Midnight shook her head. "I know, Marlene, and thanks, but I don't think you do. Forever I was told my parents had given me up, and I read in the newspapers about these heroes and wanted to be like them... this is so fast for me. It's not my pain I'm feeling; its more I think... it sounds stupid but...anyway, can I keep this picture? I need to know what I'm gonna be fighting for..."  
  
Marlene smiled. "You sound just like your dad... Yeah, keep that. Its what we will all be fighting for..." Midnight turned round, slightly shocked. "You gonna be coming too?... Then Id better give you this. My mom left me it, along with this sword and a gun. She said in the letter that it's yours..." Midnight handed Marlene the God's Hand glove, and Marlene burst out crying at that. "You know, Tifa raised me more than Barrett did, in the bar in Midgar... I'm so happy she thought of me..." Midnight gave Marlene a warm smile. "Well. We're nearly sisters then... Come on, we should set off soon. I need to ask Elmyra where to find Kierann Valentine." And with that, Midnight sheathed her sword again and set off down the winding staircase, not noticing the shocked blonde's face behind her.  
  
"He's a WHAT??" Caen exploded, as Midnight sank to the floor with her face in her hands. "What the hell made him become a Turk?" Elmyra shushed the outraged young man, who leant down and placed his arms around Midnight. "He became a Turk after he was moved foster homes. He became restless, and decided that the best way to get some action in his life was to become a Turk. He would have been training under Reno, but now..." Elmyra looked at Midnight, with sorrow in her eyes. Midnight, remembering that Reno was a friend of her mother's and had tried to save her from Sephiroth's troops, gasped and questioned further, "What? What's happened to Reno?? ... Tell me!" Elmyra hung her head. "I just heard, on the news. Reno was caught apparently trying to help a resistance member and was sentenced to death at noon tomorrow. But... They said that the resistance member... was a member of the new wave of Avalanche." She looked up again. "There's only one person that could be..."  
  
Midnight groaned. Of course. Reno had delivered the package. "We have to help him! If it weren't for him, I wouldn't know who I am!" She felt like crying. Sentenced to death... Caen spoke up. "I'll help you. I wanna kick some Extreme (A/N - Sephiroth's government; sorry, forgot to put this in the last chapter! ^_^) butt for executing my dad... and I expect you wanna get some revenge for Avalanche to, Marlene?" Marlene flexed her fingers and punched the air. "Too right!!! Elmyra... Don't worry, Ill come back to you... I'm not gonna hurt you anymore, but I have to do this." Midnight looked up at these two people and smiled through her tears. She was about to thank them when a loud rap at the door sent Elmyra running towards it. Then came the words they dreaded...  
  
"Open up!!! Extreme Soldiers with orders to search for resistance!"  
  
"Run! Out the back!" Elmyra cried. "Just a second!" Too late. The soldiers had burst through the door. Four of the silver-clad men forced their way in and attacked the nearest person. Midnight. Caen suddenly pushed her out of the way. "Midnight! Get out the back! We'll take care of this, cos its you they want!" Taking one last look at Elmyra cowering in a corner, and at the brave friends of hers who were fighting for her, she ran out the back door into the field behind the tower house.  
  
Bad mistake. Crowded around the back fence, there were eleven or so soldiers, armed and ready to barge in. They took one look at the startled teenager and shouted, "That's the Strife kid; her eyes glow. Stop her at any cost!"  
  
Midnight jumped at they fell into position. Her eyes were good so she could see through the failing light. There was so many... ("Don't mess with me...but I cant take you all...not alone..." A voice rang clear in her ears. *You're not alone, Midnight... I'm here with you...* ("Mom?") One of the soldiers charged at her, and Midnight realised her sword was in her hands. Her reaction movement served her well; one slash and the soldier was down on the deck; one more and he was history. Looking at the sword, she realised she had unconsciously drawn it. Glancing back up at the enemy, she realised the others were hanging back after seeing the ease in which she had killed their counterpart. With her Mako eyes glinting in the moonlight, long hair blowing across her back and spikes sticking up from her forehead, she grinned an evil smile (unbeknown to her, the same smile her father used to terrify Shinra with...) and whispered into the breeze...  
  
"Lets roll..." 


	15. Midnight's Fears

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Midnight's fears... ~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Everything's so blurry, and everyone's so fake, and everybody's empty, and everything is so messed up..." (Puddle Of Mudd - Blurry)  
  
(A/N - In Midnights POV.)  
  
I'm standing here in a field just outside Kalm, where the dead bodies of around fifteen men are scattered. Men who died at my hands. I just kept on slashing, on and on and on until this red haze faded and I realised what I have done... Sure they were attacking me, but their deaths are on my hands and the hands of Caen and Marlene... our hands only. Marlene is trying to comfort me, but I refuse to be consoled. Our fathers might have been these men's enemies, but they came to kill us... No, not us.  
  
Me. Midnight. Midnight Strife. Because I am Cloud and Tifa's daughter; and because they think I'm dangerous, and because I'm enemy number one of the Midgar State...  
  
I haven't even done anything... they're persecuting me because of who I am, not because there is a reason for it. Now though, I have committed murder about eleven times over. They have a reason now. I don't mind being chased if there is a reason to chase me... Those poor men though. One, I cut up so bad I don't think his family will recognise him. He shot me with this kind of ice gun, it hurt so badly, and suddenly I was really angry. I don't know where the anger came from, I suppose it must be a genetic kind of fighter's urge; I'm not sure. But I started glowing with a red and yellow light, and then I used a technique called Multislash. I slashed him about five times in a row.  
  
I didn't even know how to use the sword, I didn't realise that I had reached for it until it had sliced off the head of the first Extreme fighter. It doesn't feel like it was me who did that... I scared myself. And I scared Caen; I could see the expression on his face as I sliced the soldiers in half like hotdogs. It was a look of pure fear, which tore at my heart, but it increased my anger. Its almost like someone took over my body... Some might get a buzz off that. But for me, with my petty little rebellions of the past seeming big, it is a feeling I don't like. I'm scared of myself. And now the trance I was in has faded, I look over their bodies and although I feel guilty, there is a sudden feeling of... revenge.  
  
These bastards belong to a group my parents fought, a group that threatened to kill them and tried to do that many times. They forced my mother to give me up. They caused the untimely death of my father and the other Avalanche members... including Vincent and Yuffie, the parents of Kierann... And now, he's fucking working for them??  
  
I have to find him. He'll listen to me... I wonder if he still feels the same way about me? It's been so long, about five years I think... But now, there's a new man in my life I suppose. I can't stop thinking about Caen. If this isn't love, I don't think I wanna live with it. And if it is love... then I'm gonna have a lot of problems when I find Kierann and my past. But Caen... his eyes make me melt, and his voice makes my knees go weak. He pushed me out of the door, trying to protect me... I might have ended up protecting him, but hey... he cares enough to try. Man, why am I falling in love at this time? Its gonna get hard enough on this trip without having to be in a relationship as well! Especially when Aeris talks whenever I touch him...  
  
But forget about that. I have to go help Reno; he kept his promise to my mom, and he helped me find my true self. Plus, he's in trouble. But didn't he used to be a Turk? I wonder why he changed allegiances. Well, it's my fault he got caught as he was trying to give me the packages. Time to go kick some butt.  
  
If the last show was anything to go by, that won't be hard.  
  
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	16. Caen's Inner Wish

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Caen's Inner Wishes ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"It's coming on like a drug, the universal power of one, but it don't mean nothing, if it all comes undone..." (A - Nothing)  
  
(A/N - In Caen's POV. Obviously.)  
  
By the planet, she's strong!  
  
She seemed so innocent and sweet. Sure the sword was a bit daunting, but what the heck, she's gentle by nature, I thought. Yeah, I was wrong.  
  
She's got a powerful spirit, that girl has. She might not realise it, but I've seen my father fight on videos, and I've seen Cloud fight in the same documentaries, and she is amazing, even compared to them.  
  
The soldiers she took down are no pushovers; no doubt Sephiroth sent his middle strength forces to deal with the Strife kid just to be on the safe side. And she butchered them all with a few swings of that huge blade. Marlene and me took down four of them, Marlene being pretty strong herself for her first fistfight, but we didn't realise that the rest of the group had come round the back of the house. They thought they had us, and I thought that we were screwed when I looked out the tower window, where I had ran to see if there was a second wave coming whilst Marlene finished off the last soldier.  
  
Then I heard the screams outside, and realised who it was. Midnight. Not the person who was screaming. That was some poor soul who thought he was in for a pushover; after all, the orders were to kill the sixteen-year-old girl who had no previous military training but just so happened to be the daughter of the ex-SOLDIER and the karate expert who ripped Shinra open... She went mental on this soldier's ass; performing her Level One limit break; a version, as it appeared to me, of her father's most powerful attack the Omnislash. She calls it the Multislash. It tore the soldier apart.  
  
Hearing the screams, I was scared that she'd been hurt. And damn, she should have been; she fought eleven middle class soldiers! They're no Spirit Force; which are as strong as SOLDIER used to be; but they're still no pushovers. Hell, it took Marlene and me eight minutes to kill four; it took Midnight fifteen minutes to kill eleven. Once I ran outside, I traded in a few slashes of my own with my Poison Daggers, but she was fine on her own. Once she'd finished, she collapsed, stunned by what she'd done. We were all as stunned. She started crying, and Marlene tried to comfort her as Elmyra and I tried to clear all the bodies away. No point though. They will already know what happened. We're all on the same list as poor Reno...  
  
I stood there watching her kick ass, and Aeris voice entered my head. Good isn't she? Takes after Cloud and Tifa... Take care of her, Caen... And I will.  
  
Well, I sure feel safer now that she's shown her power. And.she's only at level one, with really low HP and MP. I'm at level five; I trained before. Same with Marlene, she's at level three and she trained as a healer, so we're in safe hands there. Just think what Midnight would be like at level seventy or so, which is what the Avalanche were at when they fought Sephiroth... It's scary to think about it.  
  
Midnight is one powerful fighter. And damn... it makes her look so hot when she's swinging that sword around and screaming her battle cry as she does so. I don't wanna feel this way, because we have so far to go together (this mission aint gonna end soon) and even if she does like me at all, then those feelings aren't gonna come out straight with all the emotion we'll have going around our heads. But I am gonna stay by her side... Its destiny, as Aeris told me, and I have to get revenge for Dad...  
  
That's my heart's wishes. Sephiroth stuck a sword to Dad; I'm gonna stick my daggers through him...  
  
That's my reason to fight. In the letter, Tifa says that Cloud asked everyone to have a reason to fight. I've found mine. We all have.  
  
Avalanche is born again... Ill get my revenge for Avalanche, and for Zack. 


	17. Starry Night At The Well

A/N - Anyone want to see Marlene's POV at this time? I'll do it on request. Also, I'm going to put a little romantic scene in here, just to complicate things further when our Kierann comes in, in a few chapters time... I must have the lowest reviews per chapter ratio in the whole site {;_;} This chapter though... Its really short, but sweet {^_^}  
  
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"I feel so alive, for the very first time; I can't deny you... I feel so alive" (P.O.D - Alive)  
  
  
  
Midnight lay on her bed at Elmyra's house and groaned. She just couldn't sleep, no matter what she did. Turning over and over, she found herself wrapped in her thin sheet, the pillow crushed under her head as she wriggled round trying to get comfy.  
  
It just wasn't going to happen. Midnight sighed, swung her legs out of the bed, deciding to go get some fresh air to clear her head of the thoughts of death she still found in there, and silently tiptoed down the tower stairs, and out the back door into the cooling night air.  
  
Behind the field, which had been her battlefield only an hour or so ago, was a small well with a view over the river, towards Junon. ("I wonder how Mam and Dad are doing without me... Pah, they wont even notice I've gone...") She climbed up towards the well, scaling the fence and sitting on the rim of the well, looking up at the stars. She thought of the unhappy life she'd had with her foster parents, who had never paid any attention to her, only to her older sister who was biologically theirs. ("Stupid bitch. Just cos she came from Mam, they treat her like a goddess... wonder what you'd think now if you saw me fight, eh Priscilla? So you're five years older... I could kick your ass any day... I wonder. If Mam and Dad would treat me any different if they knew who I was the daughter of, really?... I bet my ass they would...") Leaning back against the support on the rim of the well, she sighed as she looked up into the starry night sky. She spoke her thoughts out loud, as if they would get through that way to who they were directed at.  
  
"You risked your lives to save us all, only for it to be snatched away from you again as soon as you thought you had a chance to live it... The whole world is in your debt... Yet, the very one who threatened the life of the planet is in charge of it, now you're gone... I know you wouldn't stand for it. Your memories are mocked by Extreme, and the new generation don't know who you were, or how you fought for our future... But if Sephiroth carries on with this reign of terror, it can't be too long before those futures are destroyed again... Mom, Dad... why can't you be here with me? I can't defeat him on my own, no matter how strong you make me. I can't live up to you..."  
  
Looking up, Midnight saw a shooting star, and smiled. Make a wish on a shooting star... ("I wish everything turns out in the end...") A splash of warm landed on her bare foot, and Midnight realised that she had been crying. The tears had made a small puddle in her lap and now as she bent forward they spilled onto the ground. Above her, another eight shooting stars met with the first one. One for each member of Avalanche, Midnight thought sadly. ("I have to avenge them...")  
  
"Damn you, Weapon! And damn you, Sephiroth as well!" Midnight threw her head back and screamed these words high into the sky, where they echoed around in the empty field. And then, she broke down again, crying softly into her hands as nine fireflies danced slowly around her face, lighting it up with a gentle yellow glow.  
  
Caen had been stood at the gate to the well for about five minutes when he finally decided to jump the fence and walk towards the female warrior who had been dominating his thoughts all night. The only sound was of a few crickets in the bushes, Midnight's gentle sobs and Caen's soft footsteps padding towards her. Midnight jumped slightly as he pulled himself up next to her and laid an arm around her shoulders. The rush that she recently experienced whenever she was with him returned as she laid her head on his shoulder, leaning into his chest. "You know," he whispered quietly, so quietly that Midnight had to strain to hear, "I used to lay awake all night thinking those same words... If it hadn't been for Sephiroth, then my family would not have been torn apart, and my mother forced to live in fear and hiding. If it hadn't been for Sephiroth, Tifa would have brought you up herself... If it hadn't been for Sephiroth, then Weapon wouldn't have been summoned and Avalanche wouldn't have gone down..."  
  
They both sat in silence for a few minutes, until Midnight broke the quiet. "Do you really believe we can do it? Save Reno, and fight Extreme in the process?... I can't believe that we're going to be powerful enough to pull it off..."  
  
Caen looked at her with a smile on his pale lips. "You of all people shouldn't worry... with your Heaven's Cloud, you could slay half a million Spirit Fighters with no problem. We'll do it, Midnight; we were born to do it. And somehow, I don't think we're gonna stop there... its gonna be a long journey. But we're the protectors of the planet, now, aren't we? We'll do it..."  
  
Another few minutes passed, as both Caen and Midnight stared up at the sky. Midnight had this strange feeling of deja vu... but it was overshadowed by the tremble of her body as Caen slowly laid her down in his lap and looked upon her face. The fireflies were mostly gone now, but two of them danced around the well in a pattern excitedly. They lit up Caen's tanned face, framed by large pieces of light brown hair, which had fallen out of their place during his sleep. He was so gorgeous... he made her heart ache just by being there... Midnight suddenly felt the need to ask Caen something. "Caen... if I'm ever in a bind, will you come and rescue me? I want to be rescued by my hero... I want to know that feeling at least once in my life..." She looked up at him with her bright blue eyes, which threw out a faint light, and caught the gaze of his deep green, similarly glowing eyes.  
  
Caen swallowed. He had just gone along with his feelings so far, but when he had drawn her into his lap, he felt the butterflies rise up in his stomach and he realised, to his horror, that his hands were shaking. He gazed down at her porcelain skin, framed by her slightly wavy red hair, which glowed fiery in the moonlight. The long spikes had calmed down a bit now, but still stuck up, and her eyes held a peaceful shine. She was so beautiful... Her voice actually physically made him ache for her; whether it was adrenaline or love he couldn't tell. ("She'll probably be rescuing me...") He smiled his warmest smile. "I can be your hero, baby..." With that, he pulled her face closer to him and gently brushed his lips against hers.  
  
Midnight held her breath as he replied, and exhaled slowly as he placed a hand behind her head and drew her closer, touching his lips to hers. This was what she'd dreamt of for the last day, although it felt like forever. She extended her arms and wrapped them around his neck, pushing her lips harder against his and deepening the kiss. Caen let out a small moan in his throat as he felt her tongue slowly start to explore his mouth. One of her hands gently stroked the back of his neck, as he lifted her up into a better place and undid the clip she was wearing on her head, running his hands through her long hair as they forgot about anything but each other.  
  
Above the two teenage lovers, the two fireflies danced in a slow rhythm. Higher up, two stars twinkled brighter than normal in the indigo sky.  
  
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A/N - Bless them! {^_^} Some real fighting action soon, I promise! 


	18. Old Flame

A/N - This'll be the last chapter for a while, I'm off to a sunny place {^_^} so I'll make it a long one! Cos you know me when I get in a writing mood - I write big chunks of a story @ once. So sit back and enjoy the snail-pace-action! Lol! {^^} Oh... yes, Caen IS Zidane from FF9 minus the tail. So I don't claim responsibility for thinking up his lovely attacks. Poison daggers... FF7 sure could have done with those! ^_^ I own Midnight and Kierann though. Whoopee. I need someone to draw a picture of Midnight, Caen, Marlene, Kierann and Reno together...any offers?  
  
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Midnight stood at the outskirts of Kalm, waiting impatiently for her companions to hurry up and saddle their chocobos before more Extreme came to squash her. Yeah right. But she still wanted to get going; mainly because she felt guilty enough about the trouble she had brought to sleepy old Kalm and especially Elmyra. Midnight was sat on a glossy black chocobo she had loaned off Caen, named Jet. Marlene was sat on her mountain chocobo, Leaf, and Caen was sat upon his gold one; Jewel. Finally, once Marlene had balanced her bag on the low classed chocobo, which had been fed up to make it as fast as the other's at the expense of it's intelligence, the group of three made their way over the mountains to the plains where the ChocoFarm used to be, but which now held the eco-friendly (supposedly...) Midgaria. That was its proper name, the name Sephiroth had imposed to delete all ties with ShinraInc... but everyone still called it Midgar. Unlike the old city, Midgaria had no plate; the upper class houses stood on stalks up from the ground and people moved around on bridges. Below were the modern equivalent of the Midgar Slums. Compared to the old slums, these were like heaven because they were clean and despite the shadows left by the upper class houses, there was light and the odd glimpse of sky to be seen. Despite these good conditions, the citizens of Midgaria Slums, just like the rest of the world, were unhappy with life under Extreme. Sephiroth ruled by terror, executing people just on rumours and minor crimes. Nobody trusted him, understandably since Meteor; and rumour had it that he was out for more than this world.  
  
Once Midnight, Caen and Marlene arrived, they sent their chocobos back to Kalm (tying Leaf to Jet because it couldn't understand why it had to go) then they got on the MidLift12 to lift them up to Midgaria Sector 12. Sectors 1 - 10 were below, whilst the upper houses were part of sectors 11 - 20. In the centre, lay the Extreme Central: a security-protected village where the headquarters of Extreme were based as well as Sephiroth's personal mansion, on a large circular platform above the rest of the village. Caen explained the layout of the area to Midnight; Caen and Marlene already knew from their research last night. This mission was centred around one tall building, which stood apart from the others, as the group stared into Extreme Central. The bright blue building. The Execution and Jailing Centre.  
  
"Reno, we're coming..." Midnight whispered, but Caen's hand on her shoulder held her back from the gates of the village. "What?" Even now, his hand sent little waves of pleasure down her spine, but they were on a job now. She couldn't show it. "Midnight, we have to warn you. The last battle was fine, but now... we could face any level of Spirit Fighter..." Looking at her blank expression, he sighed. "You fought Extreme MidGuards. There are LowGuards, MidGuards and HiGuards - those 3 are the basic ones. Then, there are elite forces. Spirits. Ranging from low-level ones, 1Spirits, up until 12Spirits, which are extremely tough. The Thirteenth Spirit..." he swallowed and stopped talking.  
  
Midnight understood. "Sephiroth..." She stood and thought for a minute, then took out her sword. "Caen, Marlene; I want to go and help Reno. Come if you want... I can't force you to, but it'd be appreciated..." She charged through the open gate, taking out a guard as she did so. Caen and Marlene looked at each other then ran after her, clutching their materia, fearing a hard battle was facing them.  
  
They ran around the corner just as Midnight threw a guard right at them. Marlene screamed and ducked; unfortunately, this made Caen, who was stood behind her, a sitting duck. He groaned as the corpse landed on him and knocked all the air out of his body; he had no time to wait though because as Marlene hauled him up, the alarms went off and monsters poured out of a nearby door. "Extreme defences..." Caen choked, as they slipped into the jail building just before the iron doors slammed shut.  
  
Midnight waited for them at the lift. "Reno is on the 56th Floor... I got it outta the computer," she told the gasping Caen and the scared Marlene. Marlene spoke up. "How did you get into it? I heard Extreme computer systems are unbreakable...(Man, I cant even believe we're inside.)" Midnight grinned, "A girl has to do something when in boring Junon... I learnt to hack! So now... I got hacking, and I can even get into the security cameras, look..." They walked over to the main desk computer. A few buttons pressed, and a picture of a man with red hair in curtains falling over his face and bright turquoise eyes faced them. He was looking at the camera with an air of defiance yet fear in his Mako eyes. He was held upon the wall by iron shackles. "We have to go help him. Look. This staircase goes to the 55th Floor, I'm sure we can get to him from there..."  
  
Caen put a hand to his head. "There's nobody here yet, we shouldn't have even got in here due to those damn monsters out there. That's good. But poor Reno... He's helpless... Midnight, once we get there how can we help him? He's... RUN! NOW!!!" Caen broke off, his eyes filled with panic as about thirty 1Spirits poured out of the lifts. Marlene ran to the staircase and kicked open the door, as Midnight drew her sword, took out a red orb and screamed "HellFire!!!" Not waiting to see the effect, she grabbed the stunned Caen and bolted through the open door.  
  
At about the fortieth floor, Marlene finally stopped in her tracks, collapsing onto the rail and looking down. There was no one beneath her. "Midnight! Caen!" She yelled, hearing her words echo around the narrow escape staircase, but nothing was uttered in reply. She groaned. She couldn't believe this. The petrified Marlene was stuck in the Extreme Execution and Jail Centre, on her own with only a Restore materia, a Fire materia and her God's Hand. This wasn't good. Suddenly she heard a faint scream. "Oh no..."  
  
Midnight and Caen ran like crazy up the steps, turning every level to fight yet another battle. Caen was casting Fire2 on the soldiers beneath him, but they just kept on coming... Midnight suddenly stopped at the ninth floor, confronted by about five 2Spirits, (with a large 2 on their shirts, that's how they knew they were 2Spirits in case you wondered) and another person... a man dressed in a dark blue suit. He had completely black eyes, and matching hair, pulled into a band at the back of his head. He took out his ninja double-ended sword, Sua, and raised his head a little, staring into Midnight's face; swallowing as he did so, looking like he was going to faint with a look of complete shock on his face.  
  
Midnight staggered back, pressing into Caen, who was cornered by the soldiers approaching them from behind. He swore a little, and unsheathed his daggers, ready to go to work. Midnight tried to steady her head. Here she was, confronted by a Turk, in the worse possible situation, but the worst was that this was... "Kierann..." 


	19. Turk No More

Kierann lowered his head. Orders were orders. Midnight or not, she had broken into Extreme property and had to be punished for it. "Valentine..." He whispered. Suddenly, a large heart dropped out of nowhere, falling onto Caen's head, and he started spinning around, his eyes rolling back into his head. He turned towards Midnight, a murderous look in his eyes, and slashed at her. Luckily, she had her Star Pendant on so she wasn't poisoned, "Caen! Snap outta it!" ("Shit...") Midnight cleared her head and swung into action. She punched Caen, resulting in that he fell out of his trance. With a loud cry, he turned and sliced into one of the 2Spirits as Midnight yelled and sliced all the 1Spirits behind them in two with three swings of the Heaven's Cloud. She jumped around. She finished off the 2Spirit Caen had just poisoned with his daggers, and slashed out at one as Caen killed another one. The last two went down with a simultaneously summoned Ice2 and Fire2 from the rebel teens. Kierann then stepped forward. "Midnight... it ends now. I'm sorry..."  
  
Caen screamed at him. "You're not supposed to be fighting us, bastard! Your parents were Avalanche members! You're protecting their murderer!!!" Kierann frowned. "I don't believe I should be with you. and you're dead now..." He waved his arms around and jumped slightly, chanting "Comet..." Caen gasped as the giant rock fell onto him. He started glowing, as his HP dropped to a measly 3. Midnight screamed. She had given her Restore materia to Marlene... But Caen jumped up. Limit Break... of course. He threw his daggers out to the sides of his body and bowed his head. "Sacrifice!" He yelled, jumping with one hand pointing upwards, and fell to floor KO'd as his strength flowed into Midnight and she felt her powers return to full levels. She felt a tear drop onto her hands; he trusted everything to her. She turned to look straight into Kierann's piercing black eyes. "You... you asshole! You left me for this? Turk???" She cried, and started slashing away. Kierann parried her first shot, throwing her a few feet, and then threw all he had into their swordfight.  
  
After a while, Midnight felt her strength fading. She couldn't keep this up... he was too good for her. Plus, even if she had the chance she couldn't have brought herself to kill him. Tears ran down her face as they fought hand to hand.  
  
Kierann gasped as she caught him off guard again. Man she was good... He wondered why she was here, and then rebuked himself. Of course she had found out her heritage. He had too. He had found the letter when Reno was drunk and he had taken him back to his room, where it was lying on the top, waiting to be delivered. Yuffie and Vincent... his parents... Well, he was a Turk, and he loved it. Sure, he was betraying his family, but they hadn't felt like his parents; they'd never been there for him. He was a Turk now. That was why he had tipped a guard off as to walk down where Reno was going to deliver the package; resulting in his arrest. He'd never liked the guy anyway. Even so, despite everything he said, no training could have prepared him for this fight... against his own background, and this strong young woman who he loved...still.  
  
"!!! Kierann, stop... why are you doing this? You... belong with US... I ... still love you."  
  
"I'm a Turk... I'm not Avalanche scum like you!" Kierann yelled as he pushed his sword violently against Midnight's, pushing her to the ground. She might be a strong fighter, but she was still only a girl, and Kierann had strong arms.  
  
"Avalanche has to be wiped out... we did it with your damn parents and I'm gonna do it to you Midnight... Its true I loved you. But I'm a Turk; I have responsibilities to the people. We're not gonna let Avalanche hurt any more innocents!"  
  
Midnight looked up at him with disgust. "Avalanche never hurt as many people as your fucking leader did, don't tell me that shit Kierann. If you believe that, you don't deserve to be a Valentine. Your parents were killed because of Sephiroth. There's no way you should be fighting for that bastard, you're better than that!! "  
  
Kierann grabbed Midnight by a spike on the top of her head, a spike he used to think was cute but he was now contemplating ripping off her damn head. He pulled her face up to his and gritted his teeth, whispering through them, "If Sephiroth was a bastard, then what the fuck was your father; the failed-experiment, cold-hearted, mixed up excuse of a hero? Cloud let everyone down twice, everyone he loved; he's the damn reason for everything! So don't give me that, bitch!" He punched her hard in the jaw and Midnight fell back onto Caen's unconscious body, stunned and unable to see anything except the double-edged sword heading for her throat.  
  
Midnight screamed in her throat, but no sound came out. She tried to move, but was paralysed with fear. ("It can't end like this...") As Midnight closed her eyes, and Kierann raised his sword over his head for the final blow... a voice rang out.  
  
"Big Shot..."  
  
Midnight opened her eyes a split second after Kierann landed on top of her, knocked out cold. She looked up, dazed still by Kierann's punch; Marlene stood there, holding her fist where it had connected heavily with the base of Kierann's neck. Midnight scrambled up and threw her arms around Marlene, who awkwardly hugged Midnight back. "Isn't that...Kierann?" she asked shyly. "Yeah... but we're alright now. Come on, let's revive Caen and get the hell out of here. They've set the Turks on us... I think we should hurry if we're to have a chance at all..."  
  
Caen ran silently up the stairs, behind Midnight and Marlene who were having a girly talk about whether Reno had nice colour hair or not. He still felt guilty about not protecting Midnight... That bastard Turk could have killed her and as it happened, only Marlene's fly kick and limit punch saved her life. The reason he felt guilty was not because he could have done better than her, because he was weaker in a fight; but she was a girl, a girl he almost...loved. He was supposed to protect her... But the main reason why he was unnerved was because he could see what feelings Midnight had for that ass Kierann. She had said he was her ex, sure... but the fire that burned between them was definitely not out. And where did that leave him?  
  
At the top of the stairs, Midnight paused for breath. They all waited for about three minutes, trying to summon what strength they had left. This was the highest level - the highest security jail. With it's own execution suite... if they failed, they wouldn't have far to go to their death. But they had to pull this off. So they ran along the surprisingly empty corridor, until they met a door into the jail cells. "Caen, Marlene, you two wait here... guard it with your lives. If you get attacked, don't worry about me, just run..." Caen stepped up to Midnight and placed a hand on her cheek. "Good luck... we'll be here." He whispered, as Midnight winked and ran away, one hand on the Heaven's Cloud.  
  
~  
  
Reno once more tried to shake himself free of the chains holding him to the wall. It had been about 36 hours now since he had been put here, and he was feeling a little stiff to put it mildly. His whole body ached so badly... ("Damn those fucking soldiers...") He couldn't believe it. He had just popped around to Junon to give Tifa's daughter her birthday package, and he had encountered a group of 12Spirits. The strongest forces Extreme had. There was no way he could beat them all, so he woke up here... and he knew that he had a horrible death not too far ahead of him. Who had betrayed him, he didn't know. It didn't matter now. Rude and Tseng hadn't come to save him...after he had saved Tseng's life, he at least expected them to come say goodbye and find out the real story. But no... They had disowned him. Elena came to say goodbye, but she couldn't do anything. She left in tears...hell, she had even told him he was quitting. At least one Turk had their team honour... Damn, it couldn't be over yet. His Mako blood slowed his aging; he still felt 27 years old. He had so much in life to look forward to... "I couldn't half do with a fucking vodka right now..." he murmured, slumping down and giving up.  
  
He must have fallen asleep. When he woke up, he realised he'd dreamt of Avalanche again. Cloud was the most outstanding one in the dream; he had been telling Reno to look after Tifa and Midnight, then the Highwind went down in a ball of flames behind him and Reno awoke in a cold sweat. Damn, again. It must have been his guilty conscience playing up again for chasing them during their fight against Meteor. Great... not only would he die soon, he could look forward to Avalanche kicking his ass in the Lifestream... "Why me?" he murmured. He glanced up, to see a pair of eyes glowing down the completely dark corridor. He knew those eyes... he had just dreamt of them. ("What the fuck???") He searched the pitch-black corridor again. Yes, they were definitely Strife eyes. Pale Mako blue... and anyway, nobody had Mako eyes except the Turks and Sephiroth anymore... Swallowing, he tried to call out, but found himself too weak. All that came out was a whisper. "Cloud?" The eyes turned towards the sound, and pressed up against the bars of the cell. "You're Reno, right?" a soft voice asked. Reno silently nodded and made an 'uh-huh' noise in his throat, which was too dry to utter anything more. Looking at this girl's face, he realised she looked so familiar. Her hair spiked up on the places where they were short, but it was otherwise long and deep brown. She was slim and pale, and tall. Reno's worn out brain took too long to figure out who this was. The huge sword in her hands told him who it was. It was her... that Midnight, the daughter of Tifa and Cloud. He knew that he had recognised those eyes...  
  
It took no time at all for Midnight to free Reno. She slipped between the bars; being so slim it was easy, and besides these bars were designed to look good rather than keep prisoners in; the prisoners were always chained to the walls. With four swipes of the Heaven's Cloud, each of the bonds were gone and Reno fell of the wall, into Midnight's arms. "You alright?"  
  
Reno cleared his throat and rubbed his wrists grimacing. "Yeah... but why are you here? Everyone's given up on me. Its too dangerous for you to break in just for lil old me..." He was still flexible, despite the hours on the wall, and he slipped through the bars, landing next to Midnight. She sighed. "I owe you everything, Reno... I wouldn't know who I am if you hadn't brought me the letter. Now I know who my mother and father really are - and I know what I have to do." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the Quicksilver. "Here, you can use this for now... It was Vincent's..." Reno looked at the gun happily. "Ex Turks together... I'll be proud to use this."  
  
As they reached the door Reno gave Midnight a wink and tried to sound sexy, "By the way, I have a few ideas how you could pay me back..." then sighed and laughed, "but your mother would kill me!" Midnight shook her head. "Hey, I wouldn't worry about Mum, its me you should worry about!" They both laughed. Caen and Marlene looked relieved as they saw Midnight and Reno walking up to them, probably because there was a large group of 3Spirits approaching. "Hey guys! Let's roll!" Caen yelled.  
  
As Midnight unsheathed her huge sword and Reno pulled out the Quicksilver, joining Caen and Marlene who were ready to go; Midnight whispered to Reno, "Besides... she's not gonna hurt you much from where she is, is she..." As he fired a shot into one of the 3Spirits' head's, killing him, Reno whispered a comment back that made Midnight lose all concentration in the battle.  
  
"She can hurt me very easily from Corel..."  
  
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A/N -Dun duh! Suspense alert! Hah and unlucky for you, I'm off on holiday. Bye! More chapters in a week! ^_^  
  
Next Chapter: Tifa's alive? Or is she, now that Sephiroth knows she exists? 


	20. Despair

"Your words to me just a whisper, your face is so unclear; I try to pay attention, your words just disappear..." Staind - Epiphany  
  
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Despair  
  
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The light faded over the horizon as the sun slowly descended behind the Nibel Mountains. Rocket Town was deserted, even though it had been extended to a larger town size; everyone was moving inside on this oddly warm winter's night. The thunderclouds rolled above; a breakdown in the weather was expected, yet one woman stood outside of her house staring up into the sky. She turned after a while and walked up the winding dust path to the monument of where the rocket that had named this town had once stood. It had been officially named 'Cid's rocket'. The woman kept walking as her velvet brown long hair whipped around her in the gale and her black coat tangled itself around her legs. No one noticed her as she moved; they were all too occupied with preparing for the forthcoming storm, except for an old man who nodded his head at her as she walked past. "Good evening Raya..." She gave him a warm smile and kept moving.  
  
The woman moved with an odd step up the path and, climbing the scaffolding with a graceful strength yet an air of weakness, she reached the top and settled down on the bare boards, which used to be the entry to the rocket. Leaning back against the boards behind her, she found herself sheltered from the heavy wind, not caring about the heavy raindrops that would soon begin to fall. She pushed a navy baseball cap off her head, revealing her middle-aged yet extremely youthful appearance. Her burgundy eyes shone as the woman's hair was swept back off her face, revealing the fresh tears that had been shed. She pulled a book out of her coat pocket and opened it to reveal a set of 3 photographs from different times in her life. She went through them one by one, salty tears falling from her beautiful eyes and splashing onto the book along with the rainwater.  
  
A picture of nine young people, sat on a beach all posing happily for the camera. She could remember that day. Everyone was so tired after the endless battles; her best friend had roped everyone into getting a picture taken in Costa del Sol. She was such a good laugh, that girl; strangely devilish in her ways for someone so innocent and pure in spirit. There had been a few moans at the request. One of them was too silent and brooding to enjoy any of those kinds of things; he was always deep in thought, yet one person could always pull him out of hose thoughts despite being half his age; she was so cheerful and cheeky to everyone that even he had to laugh eventually at her pouting face when she didn't get her own way. Another of them, the short blonde man, couldn't be pulled away from his pint and his cigarettes that easily... it took the threatening presence of a tall muscular man with a weapon as part of his body to make him join in with the photo. Of course, the others had no disapproval to this photo... The gentle and thoughtful feline was always ready to join in any plans, unlike the tall toy mog and cat, which was just generally cheerful when there was no reason to be. And Raya herself... she was in this photograph, at the front with a huge smile on her face, sat next to a man whose hair seemed to be the focus point of the photograph. He had a gentle smile on his face, a smile that hinted as though there was dangerous thoughts behind those blue eyes; eyes which hid conflict within. It was already easy to see he was confused within. But that wasn't apparent to the group at that time; they were all together, they were fighting together. Everything was well; those were happier times, before death and despair would tear at the bonds they held together.  
  
The next picture held only two faces. It was a picture of a loving father, cradling his baby in his strong arms and gazing down at her face with only love showing on his handsome face. His hair flopped over his eyes in separate sections, as it hadn't been styled; this was a picture taken on a spur of the moment, the man had on only a pair of faded shorts and the baby had just been washed. The baby was laughing along with her father, their identical blue eyes locked as they did so. The photo held an air of complete happiness. Raya closed her eyes as the sobs took over her body. She missed them both so much...  
  
A voice floated up towards the woman from the ground below.  
  
"Raya. It's going to rain. Come back in before you get soaked! You're not a damn teenager anymore, Raya!... What are you doing up there anyway? Damn weirdo..." It was a man of about her age; her landlord, who seemed to think he could rule over her.  
  
Raya had a feisty spirit inside of her, but she was too caught up in the past to go challenge him now. Instead she acknowledged him with a V sign, muttering all kinds of things to herself. ("Who is he to think he can rule over me?... No one owns me. Just because people think I can't cope, he tries to control me... Besides, I'm sick of everyone calling me Raya. I'm Tifa. I can take care of myself; let them track Tifa down. What does it matter now? Fuck Sephiroth...")  
  
The third photograph showed Tifa herself, with two children in her arms. They were a boy and a girl. They were so different looks wise - the smaller boy had red cropped hair and his mother's eyes. He was tanned and had a look about him of Tifa; it was obvious that he was her son. Her daughter, however, was older than her son and might have had the same eyes as her brother and mother, deep burgundy, wide and warm looking; however she had her mother's paler skin and she had extremely curly blonde hair down to her waist. This photograph was the hardest of all for Tifa to bear. The wound was new. She threw herself on the wet boards and cried her heart out.  
  
------ (Tifa's POV from now on till the next divider)  
  
This cant be happening to me... I am such a damn failure. They're right when they say that I can't cope with two children on my own. I could have though... They were angels, and Deen was just gonna get his job in the chocobo stables this summer, so he could go on holiday skiing at Icicle Inn... Arca was so feisty, she took after me, and she was gonna join the Wutain Academy which would have taught her to fight. She was already good with the knives she had which she hooked over her thumbs and performed a ritualistic attack with... She was very interested in ancient techniques. Aeris could have done with those kinds of attacks herself. My daughter is nearly an Ancient in battle techniques anyway. She could have looked after me and Deen both, because she was the strongest I know she could have done it.  
  
But they came... They found us.  
  
I was so careful... Raya Moona, her son Deen Moona and daughter Arca Jade Moona. Who would have thought that they weren't what they appear to be?  
  
They wouldn't have told anyone, they knew it was a secret. Maybe they saw Arca's strength. It was definitely not ordinary. But that's not much to go on... It's my fault. They're only children. They're fifteen and ten for Ancients' sake!  
  
And now they're in the hands of Extreme's Scientific Research Bureau. Hojo is dead, but his successor must be even worse... My poor babies.  
  
I can't go rescue them, not with this injury.  
  
Spirits snatched them from the field. I didn't know until I saw them being flown off in the helicopter... Arca was practising her fight stance; Deen was practising his chocobo summoning. Maybe they could both have a chance of escape with Arca's weapons and Deen's ChocoMog materia...I pray for them. I need to do something... But I'm helpless... How could they take two young children? This is heartbreaking. I'm not strong enough to stand this after all I have been through...  
  
Oh Cloud, why did fate take you away? I need you so much. There is so much I need to discuss with you, to hear your soft voice tell me that it's alright, I need you here every step of the way. I tried without you and I failed. I failed all along the line.  
  
I failed you. You died because you protected me... I shouldn't have let you take my blows. I should have died and you would have done so much better without me that I have without you...  
  
I failed Midnight. I gave my first child to foster homes and now she's ran away, I've been told... I hope it's to help the resistance but I heard that Reno was imprisoned and probably killed. How can she find her way if he cannot guide her? She doesn't even know I exist... She doesn't know the danger she's in.  
  
Oh Reno... my second love, after Cloud. I failed Reno too. I can't believe he is as good as dead because of me. I should have been more careful. I let the man I grew to love, go on a mission he was caught on just because I wanted him to go. I have lost both my loves.  
  
I could never love Reno as much as Cloud... Cloud was a part of me, and that's why I have felt incomplete since he died. I see Cloud everywhere, I dream of him and he is the love of my life, but I care about Reno deeply as well. I have room for both in my heart. But both are gone...  
  
My second child, Arca... She was Cloud's child. I became pregnant with Arca the week we were flying around on the ship before that day when the Highwind went down. Cloud would have been so proud... She is fifteen, and has inherited his strength. I saw on the news that Midnight has inherited it too. At least they both have that... But Deen, my little boy... He is Reno's son, and he is so small... he has only just turned ten. He cannot protect himself. My fear is that they will believe he is Cloud's son and test for Jenova and all the vile things they did to Cloud when they had their hands on him. Cloud was strong. Arca is also strong. They have the same spirit - the spirit that could pull them through the ordeal. But Deen, I'm not so sure about.  
  
I am such a failure - I have lost all my family. Cloud, Reno, Midnight, Arca, Deen... I have let them all down. I can't let it happen anymore, I have to do something... If only I hadn't broken my legs in that car crash. They don't support my weight too well now, meaning I cant use my karate kicking skills to fight for my family and my fists aren't enough...  
  
----- 


	21. Defend Who You Love

A/N - Once again I couldn't fit it all in one chapter. This is Despair continued.  
  
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Tifa closed her eyes and a vision appeared in front of her as if she were hallucinating. It was blurred as if she was drunk. She saw Cloud's face pass in front of her eyes, his eyes full of hope and belief in her. "Be strong Tifa..." he whispered. The vision faded. Tifa sat up and saw a bolt of lightening light up the distance, illuminating the mountains in the distance, beyond which lay her hometown.  
  
------  
  
I can see the Nibel Mountains from here. They are so beautiful. I spent my childhood up there, they remind me of my happiness with Cloud... They inspire me and always have. Just like he always has. Are you watching over me Cloud? I bet you don't recognise me. I used to be strong. What happened to the Tifa you loved??? I can't let it end like this. Avalanche never gave up...  
  
I know Cloud wouldn't let me give up this easily. So...I'll get a sword... Cloud, I will avenge you and I will protect your daughters at any cost. Please watch over me and give me a fraction of the strength you always had... It would be enough to succeed. I love you still. Your love fuelled me to carry on after my world collapsed, and the memory of your love for me will carry me on now, just like you kept us all going when we fought Meteor. I love you. Keep me safe, please...  
  
Reno... I'm coming honey, and Ill save our baby. Wait for me... I'll be there.  
  
There's no point in waiting now. I have to move on.  
  
------  
  
Tifa stretched and got up. She walked down the steps and into the nearby weapons shop, which was a 24-hour dispensing machine. She ordered the only sword in there... a Force Stealer. It was better than nothing. She still had her mastered Restore, Fire, Ice and Comet materia. She even had Neo Bahamut and Knights Of The Round along with her HP Plus materia. They were all in her armour, which she still had strapped to her arm. She had never taken it off since the Highwind... She walked back out of the shop, holding the big purple sword unbelievably. How did Cloud carry this around with him all the time? It wasn't heavy, but it was big enough to bump people as she walked past a group of teenagers.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a glimmer of silver. She froze. About ten 3Spirits came out of the shadows. Tifa turned and ran as another ten appeared to her right. She was surrounded except for the path towards the rocket. She ran as fast as she could. Her legs were strong at running. She just couldn't kick anymore, as her feet had been badly damaged. This didn't hinder her as she climbed the rocket, desperate to escape. She hadn't got any ethers on her, so she couldn't recharge her MP, which was at a low of around ten. She hadn't a chance with just a Force Stealer sword. At the top she stopped. There was nowhere to go. She knew they had been ordered to kill her at first sight. No one was near to hear her screams. She cowered. It was all over.  
  
The 3Spirits grinned as they stepped towards her. They knew they had won. The leader took out his gun to finish the job. Stupid Avalanche bitch. There was nowhere stupider she could have gone than up here. She should have fought. There was nowhere to run in this town...  
  
Tifa closed her eyes. She prayed. ("Aer, Vince, Yuff, Shera, Cid, Cait, Red, Barrett... Cloud... Please help me. It can't end like this...") She thought she heard the sobs of her friends, crying because they couldn't help her. She had always felt close to them, now was she gonna join them? No... She had to help her children... She heard Cloud call to her in anguish. "Teef... fight back. I love you, we all do, and we know you can do it..." But Tifa couldn't. She had frozen, and the only thing she could do was throw a Lunar Curtain and a Light Curtain which she kept in her coat just in case, which cast MBarrier and Barrier around her. But she couldn't attack. She was desperate. Why hadn't they attacked? She looked in their faces. They were looking at the ground below the tower. They had a look of terror and disbelief on their faces.  
  
Tifa took her chance and lunged at the leader Spirit with her sword, only to be knocked back by the Spirit's own Barrier. She screamed as she fell on her ankle, injuring it badly. She opened her eyes and shook her head, dazed. All she heard was a battle cry ring through the cold night air. That cry... it was Cloud's cry, wasn't it? It had to be... nobody had ever cried like that, with the passion and danger Cloud had always expressed in his voice. But... it couldn't be him... who was it? The cry rang again as she heard the screams of the Spirits as they were attacked and died. The leader looked at Tifa again, frightened, and grabbed her, holding her as if she were a hostage with a gun to her head, and wrapped a huge hand around her neck, lifting her up off the ground. Tifa choked and struggled against his strong arms, first trying to escape, then merely trying to breathe. Her head was growing fuzzy, and her vision blurred. Tifa knew he wouldn't hesitate to kill her. It was all growing black... ("Cloud... help...") Tifa pleaded, her eyes rolled to the sky as she slowly suffocated.  
  
The thunderstorm above suddenly grew quiet and the clouds all grouped into a small dense area. A huge thunderbolt ripped out of the sky, startling everyone there. The noise sounded like a bellow of rage, as if the storm was rebelling against itself to attack. This was not a summoned thunderbolt from materia... no, this was natural. The thunder hit the Spirit holding Tifa, killing him immediately. Similar thunderbolts hit the other remaining Spirits, as Tifa Lockheart fell to the floor in a heap and lost consciousness. 


	22. Deja Vu

**Chapter 23**

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**A/N - Sorry for not updating for a while. I'm more into my other story, which I've just started making. But I've finally got around to updating THIS one. **

**~*~**

Tifa woke up in an unknown room, it looked like an Inn, with a massive headache. In fact, the whole of her body ached badly, so much that she was scared to move in case she hurt herself more. She couldn't remember what had possibly happened to her... Out the window she saw lightning fork across the sky, and in a flash it all came back to her. Extreme... up on Cid's Rocket... 

"How am I alive?" she mumbled, startled to find that she couldn't speak. Raising a hand to her neck, she felt that it was swollen and tender... of course; the Spirit had tried to suffocate her. Tifa tried to get up but failed, finding she had no strength to. She flopped back on the bed feeling like a complete cripple. Her legs were hurting her as well; maybe it was the fact that she'd used them to fight for the first time since the accident. She frowned, trying to remember anything that would point to how she had survived.

All she could hear was that battle cry going round and round her head. Who was that? It sounded so like Cloud it was unnerving. Whoever had made that cry must have saved her. But who? Tifa was so deep in thought she didn't notice the door behind her open, and a tall figure come in quietly.

Midnight nearly dropped the phone she was dialling when she saw Tifa move. She was awake already? Midnight stopped in her tracks. Well, here she was, about to meet her real mother. So why was she so nervous? She forced herself to breathe, and stepped slowly towards the edge of the bed. Man, Tifa sure had passed her looks down to her daughter. Midnight felt like she was looking in a mirror. Except the mirror image was older, and with a severely bruised neck and face. Midnight closed her eyes and cleared her throat. What was she supposed to say? 

"Erm...Ti...Tifa?" 

Tifa spun around, or at least she tried to, but her aching muscles didn't seem to want to move. With difficulty, she moved her face towards the sound. That voice sounded so familiar. As she saw the person who had spoke, Tifa gasped in her throat. ("She looks exactly like me... but she's younger.") That voice had been the voice that made the battle cry, she realised. The younger woman spoke again. "Here, drink this. It'll release the swelling in your throat and let you speak..." Tifa was handed a tall bottle of purple liquid. She drank the medicine in one long gulp, coughing violently when she finished. She felt her throat tingle, which was an unbearably tickly feeling; but after about a minute Tifa realised she could speak again.

"Who are you?" she wondered. The girl, because on closer looks she was just a teenager, looked nervous, and looked away, as if wondering what to say. And then Tifa saw her eyes.  Eyes she would never forget. ("Oh my god... Mako blue eyes... Mi... Midnight?!") Tifa gasped and let out a slight squeal. "You're... Midnight aren't you? You look so like me, and those eyes... you have to be..." 

Midnight sighed with relief and smiled her smile, her father's smile, which made Tifa go weak inside. "Yeah... hi... Mom..." She giggled. "I can't believe I'm actually with you! I thought you were dead..." Tifa looked into her eldest daughter's eyes and burst into tears, pulling her in for a hug. "You saved me, didn't you? How is it you're here?" Midnight didn't answer that one.

Reno stepped out from the doorway, followed by Marlene and lastly Caen, who seemed to be in awe of the fact he was in the same room as the last one of his heroes. Reno smiled as he spoke. "I came here after these lot got me out. I knew that Sephiroth would come for you once he found out where you were." Tifa let out a little scream and sobbed harder as she saw Reno. She let go of Midnight and threw herself in his arms. Reno gently picked her up and placed her on his lap as he sat down on the bed. The look on his face was of pure anger as he traced the marks on her face and neck with a fingertip. "And we didn't get here quick enough to stop them getting to you..."

Reno looked at Midnight for the first time. "Mid, how come you came to get me out? I thought there was no hope then you three suddenly burst in and save my ass even though I've never met you before?!" Marlene answered. "Midnight heard, and wanted to get you out..." Caen seconded that. "Yeah, cos you'd got arrested giving her the note; she thought it was her fault." Midnight nodded. Tifa sighed. "It was my fault though, because I made him take the note. I couldn't do it myself and so I nearly lost my lover again... oh Reno... I thought you were dead... I thought Id lost everything..." Reno hushed her before she got too upset. "Honey, we'll get them back..."

Marlene frowned. "Get who back?"

"Our children. Arca and Deen. Well, Arca isn't Reno's biological child; she's Cloud's, just Reno raised her with me." Midnight gasped. "Yeah, she's your sister. And Deen is your half brother. They were abducted from the fields outside Rocket Town last week by Extreme, to experiment on because they believe that they have Jenova inside them. Arca does, and so do you Midnight; but little Deen doesn't, and I'm afraid when they find that out they'll just kill him..." Tifa wiped away a tear, surprisingly not breaking down while she told her older daughter about her siblings' fate. "But Arca is strong, and she'll be able to hold out in the experiments they'll test on her. I can't imagine what they'll do; when they experimented on Cloud and Zack," (Caen sat up) "...they made them into different people; and that was so long ago, they'll have made breakthroughs now. I'm afraid that she's so strong they'll ant to use her for something..." Tifa finally broke down. Reno hugged her, burying his head in her hair. They were obviously devastated.

Midnight wiped away a tear of her own that she hadn't even noticed, and turned around. She looked at Caen, and at Marlene. Caen nodded and whispered, "I'm not letting them go through what Dad did..." Marlene smiled. "I'm always on your side..." Midnight bowed her head. "Thank you..." She turned around. 

"Reno... Tifa... We'll go get them back."

Reno and Tifa looked up. Tifa spoke first. "I know you're strong. You had to be, to get Reno out. But you could face anyone there... please be careful..." Midnight grinned. "I wouldn't worry. I have the best people on my team..." Tifa gazed at Marlene thoughtfully.

("If the hair wasn't blonde... she has quite a look of Dyne...") She turned to her daughter again. "Midnight, did you do what I told you to in the letter?" Midnight nodded, puzzled. "So you must be Marlene then, am I right?" 

Marlene grinned. "Yeah. Pleased to meet you, Tifa..." Tifa smiled back. "Thought so. How' the glove?" Marlene gave her a thumbs up. "Good. Make Barrett proud... nah I know he was proud of you anyway... he never did anything without thinking of you..." Tifa fell into her thoughts and her voice faded away.

Caen stood behind them all, feeling left out. He didn't want to tell them he was Zack's son; he didn't know how they would react to that. Zack wasn't a member of Avalanche. He hadn't really been part of the story. Caen hid his head behind a floppy bit of hair that had fallen out of the band again. Midnight put a hand on his shoulder. "Mom... this is Caen. Can you guess who he's related to? I did, the first time I ever met him..." 

Tifa eyed him thoughtfully. "Caen..." ("He's familiar alright. Hmm... Mako green eyes?! Who had them... None of the Turks had green eyes...!!!!! He's not related to Sephiroth?!... Nobody else I knew of had green Mako eyes...") She looked at his face, frightened. Caen noticed her expression and stepped forward. 

"What's wrong?! Lemme guess you think I'm related to the General yeah? Nope, its not Sephiroth, although I get that quite a bit..." Caen noticed Midnight's eyes on him, but didn't turn towards her. Instead, he let Tifa take a closer look at him.

Tifa sighed with relief. ("Ok then... SOLDIER all had Mako eyes. But there's no SOLDIER left. He seems about the same age as Midnight. A SOLDIER back then... Hey! Zack was caught not long after the...gulp... Highwind went down. Hmm. Come to think of it, Zack had gorgeous green eyes... must be!") She leant back into Reno. "Zack Rainfall..." she whispered. 

Caen gulped. So you could tell by looking at him. He felt so proud... "Yeah, well done..."

Reno frowned. "Listen, do any of you own a summon materia that summons lightening, other than Ramuh?" Tifa shook her head. "No, why?" The other three shook their heads too. Reno paused. "You three know what I'm on about, don't you?" They nodded. 

Caen scratched the back of his head (A/N - Cute Zidane-like gesture, which Cloud also tends to do) just as Midnight did the same. They caught each other's eye and giggled at their matching gimmicks. Marlene rolled her eyes. "Tifa, just as we thought we'd lost you to that Spirit's chokehold, this huge bolt of lightening hit the Spirit holding you, and all the other Spirit's we were fighting, killing them all; but  nobody summoned it..."

Tifa frowned, wondering. "Just before I blacked out, I was praying to Cloud and the rest to help me... Do you think?" The others all stared in amazement. Caen let out a chuckle and all the others turned to him, slightly annoyed. "What??"

"We could ask Aeris!" he laughed. 

Marlene, Tifa and Reno all looked at him as if he was mad. They were about to speak when Midnight stopped them. "He's getting all giggly because he's getting in tune with Aeris and Zack..." Seeing the puzzled looks she was getting, she giggled herself. "Listen. Cloud was injected with Jenova cells, wasn't he. Well, Zack was injected with Cetra cells. Therefore, Caen, Zack's son, is a mild Cetra. And he can get in contact with Aeris and Zack if I hold on to him and ask questions. I don't know why it has to be me... I guess he could do it alone, but he only does it when I'm touching him for a strange reason..." 

Caen grabbed onto Midnight, cutting her explanation short. Their worlds span, and they both collapsed to the floor. 

Midnight prayed to Aeris. "Aeris... did my father save Tifa back there?"

Marlene, Tifa and Reno watched in shock as Midnight opened her mouth and Aeris' voice filled the room. "Tifa, best friend, glad you're ok. The thunderbolts were summoned by Avalanche, yes. One thunderbolt for each member... and yes, Cloud saved you, Tifa..."

Tifa burst into tears in Reno's arms. ("Thank you Cloud... Avalanche... Thanks guys...")

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Caen shot up, pulling him and Midnight out of the trance. Midnight screamed at the sudden shock to her mind, but Caen just sat there, pale as snow. He gasped for breath, his eyes bulging out slightly; they were no longer a dark green, but an unhealthy shade of pale. He was literally being scared to death. Midnight scrambled over to him, then as soon as she touched him she saw what he could see. She screamed and screamed. Marlene ran over and pulled them apart. 

Tifa leant over and slapped Caen hard, to bring him out of the trance. It had worked with Cloud before when he went into one of his trances - it worked now. Caen gasped again. He started to get his colour back. Midnight was crying her eyes out. She crawled back to Caen and he held her there in his arms. Tifa and Marlene pulled Midnight off Caen again and into Tifa's arms. Reno grabbed Caen's head and turned it to face him. "What did you see, Caen?" Caen stuttered what he wanted to say, but couldn't say it. "J...Je......J..."

Midnight sighed and answered for him. "Jenova... in a monster form. Next to Sephiroth... And it looks like they were coming here..." Tifa went pale. Reno looked at her. "Are you alright to go anywhere?" She nodded. 

"Then lets go..." They all jumped up and went to the door of the inn. Outside was a large helicopter. "???" Tifa wondered. "Caen stole it from Extreme... come on, get in we got to go!" Midnight yelled. As the helicopter took off, a group watched from a field outside Rocket Town.

Reno was steering the helicopter towards Costa Del Sol when it suddenly veered to the right. "Holy Planet, what's that?" He screamed. Bullets whizzed past the windscreen. "We're under attack!! Get down!"

Midnight and Marlene both screamed as the windscreen shattered. Reno yelped. Midnight jumped up. "RENO!!!" she screamed. The Turk was collapsed in his chair with glass all over him. Midnight grabbed the controls and tried to steady the helicopter. Marlene grabbed onto her shoulder and kept her from falling out.

Tifa buried her head in Caen's shoulder, getting serious flashbacks from the Highwind's fated flight; seeing first Cloud then Reno injured was too much and she broke down. Caen held her to him, keeping an eye on Midnight. ("Ancients, let her stay safe...") 

Tifa sobbed as she huddled up to Caen. ("Not again...")

~*~

**A/N - Oooh suspense dun dun duhh! Poor Tifa...**

**^_^ I'll try and update quicker this time! **


	23. Attacked

**Chapter 24**

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**A/N - *runs from mob with sticks* Ok! Ok! I'm sorry! I know I promised to update quicker and uh, I didn't. But I've been busy with college and other fics! I also hit a wall in thinking up ideas for this fic. But I'm here now! Yippee!**

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Marlene flew across the small cabin as the gusts of wind blowing in from the shattered windscreen became too much for her to hold on in. She landed on the floor with a thump, back against the door leading into the cargo area. Caen reached across and pulled Marlene closer to him. Tifa just lay in Caen's arms and shook, it being too much for her. Midnight hung onto the controls with everything she had, digging her feet under the panel to try and keep herself there. She struggled with the controls, trying to bring the helicopter's nose up and steady it; but it didn't seem to be working. _Damn… Midnight cried out to Caen for help._

Caen jumped up and gently laid Tifa in Marlene's arms. Tifa didn't seem to notice; she was having some kind of breakdown. Understandable, considering what she'd been through, Caen thought. This must bring one hell of a déjà vu. Caen heard Midnight gasp. As he spun around, he saw Midnight duck under the control panel as a small aircraft flew into view. Caen threw himself on Marlene and Tifa, knocking them onto the floor as bullets sprayed around the room. The terrified group heard the sound of metal on metal. When the shots stopped, Caen looked up and saw bullet holes around the interior walls. _No time to think, just get to Midnight and get us out of here… As Caen leapt over to Midnight and held onto her, placing his hands over hers on the controls and trying his best to bring the helicopter level again, his eyes fell on Reno, still slumped in his chair._

Caen's hands fell off Midnight's, and she felt him move back from her. "Caen?" She tried to look at him, but the aircraft needed piloting. She had managed to get it somewhere near steady now, despite the light aeroplane which kept flying around them. That was what was attacking them; and it was an Extreme craft. She could tell that from the logo emblazoned on its side. So they had tracked them down…Midnight cursed under her breath. She'd worry about Caen later. She had to get the helicopter down safely because it wasn't fair on all these people inside that they were in this position. Extreme weren't after Marlene or Caen, although they would be as soon as they knew they had joined Midnight. Ok, they were after Reno and Tifa, but they weren't the top priority. Midnight knew it was her they were after. They had caught her little sister Arca, and they had taken her half brother Deen because they thought he was a Strife too. Now they were after the oldest Strife. Midnight wouldn't let them have their way with any of the three. Fighting the strong gusts, she tried to manoeuvre the helicopter to the ground.

Caen swallowed the bile in his throat and instinctively moved back. He realised suddenly how critical the Turk could be and checked Reno's neck for a pulse. His heart dropped. Frantically, he placed a hand over Reno's heart and the other on his wrist. _Phew. There was a pulse, even though it was weak. Caen examined Reno's injuries carefully. Reno had cuts all over him from the shattered glass. He seemed to have hit his head on the dashboard as he had an ugly lump and bruise on his right temple. The worst injury Reno had though was a deep gash along his right cheek, which was bleeding heavily. Blood ran down Reno's neck and shoulder, staining his white collar crimson. Caen took his bandana off and folded it up into a thick bundle, pressing it hard against Reno's cheek. He then lifted the older man up and dragged him quickly to the back of the helicopter._

Caen sighed with the effort. He laid Reno down with Marlene's bag under his head. "Tifa…are you alright?" Caen wondered; worried for the Avalanche member who still hadn't looked up from Marlene's shoulder. Tifa sighed and turned towards Reno, ignoring Caen completely. She shuffled next to him and held the bandage to Reno's face, her tears mixing with the blood. Marlene put an arm around her. "He'll be alright…"

Caen got up and stepped over to Midnight again, steadying her with his body as she struggled to stay upright. Midnight said nothing. She didn't need to. Caen helped her glide the helicopter into the field beneath them. The engine noise of the plane beside them had faded away, and they felt that now was the best chance to land safely. As the helicopter settled down, Midnight's legs gave way beneath her. Caen felt her start to fall and held her waist, supporting her. Midnight turned and looked into his green glowing eyes and felt a sudden adrenaline rush. Her stomach turned over inside her, as if she had butterflies in it. She hadn't felt like this about anyone. As much as the events of the last few days had occupied her mind, she couldn't help but think about him, see his face every time she closed her eyes. Falling in love was the last thing she wanted to do right now, but you could never choose when to fall in love.

Caen gazed into Midnight's eyes and felt himself growing dizzy as he always did when he stared into those amazing blue spheres for too long. He knew he had to stop soon but he couldn't break free from the bond between them. He knew he was edging closer to her. Now was not the time. Who knew how badly the helicopter was damaged, and whether the Extreme plane was coming. They had to get out and somewhere safe. Caen shook his head and, taking Midnight's hand, turned and pulled her to the back of the helicopter where he struggled with the door. "Lets get out…"

Tifa sat up and wiped her eyes, trying to calm the fears that threatened to send her crazy. She kept her head down and lifted Reno off the ground gently. Marlene walked over and boosted up Reno's legs, helping Tifa to carry him. Reno started to wake, coughing up blood and trying to move. Caen ran over and lifted Reno's middle, allowing Tifa to tend to Reno as he awoke. Midnight meanwhile, had opened the door and unravelled the steps. "Hurry guys, we have to go…"

The small group hurried out of the helicopter, scanning the horizon for signs of being followed, but there was none. Reno had recovered enough to walk, although he was still too weak to run fast. Tifa was hugging and crying all over him, at the same time urging him to walk faster. Underneath the tragic heartbroken character the tough Avalancher still existed. Caen and Midnight were standing together on one side of the group, watching for Extreme. Marlene stood on the other side. All were silent. Caen spoke first. "I think we're near Costa Del Sol… actually, we could be anywhere…" Marlene turned to him. "I think we're nearer…!!!!" She broke off as a fleet of Extreme fighter planes cane over a hill in the horizon and headed towards the helicopter, clearly visible in the middle of a grassy area. Midnight froze. "RUN!!! Split up, they'll get confused of which direction to go that way…" 

Tifa and Reno ran off holding hands and leapt into the nearest cluster of trees, where they huddled together in the undergrowth behind a huge rock. They stayed still and the fleet didn't see them.

Marlene, Midnight and Caen ran for their life through the gaps in the trees and ended up at a clearing near a ruined Mako reactor that still stood. The town nearby had a ring of forests around. Caen sighed. "Gongaga… my Dad's hometown…" He yelled, Midnight placing an arm around him as he ran. The three gasped as they heard bullets being fired behind them. Marlene pulled Midnight over to her. "Split up, now!!!" she screamed.

Marlene dived into a nearby shed and cowered in the corner, praying that they hadn't seen her.

Caen and Midnight ran on, until Midnight saw a small cave in the nearby cliff. She pushed Caen into it, but had no time to get in herself before the planes were on her. If she went in now, Caen and her would be cornered. She knew what she had to do. They were after her of course. To avoid Caen being hurt, she ran on and the planes followed her as their target. 

Caen scrambled out and watched the scene in front of him in horror. 

"…Midnight!!!!"

~*~


End file.
